Sacrifice to the Light
by Starry.Smiles
Summary: 11 years until Hogwarts. Time would pass by quickly, but until then, they were content to know that she was protected by her new family, far away from evil that concealed the slight glimmer of Light that still remained in the Wizarding World.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue: Protecting The Malfoy Daughter_**

The woman with the tired, but happy blue eyes gazed lovingly at the baby that was in her arms. The man, who was her husband, stood next to her, with another baby in his arms. Surrounded by only her parents, husband and sister, the Malfoys and the Blacks celebrated the birth of the newborn baby twins, Draco and Mia.

Bellatrix strode into the room, like she usually did, but this time she was sighing, "Beautiful baby Mia… the perfect Black protégé."

Narcissa Malfoy smiled slightly at her sister's softness… that she occasionally showed at home, but never showed outside. It was a wonder how all these purebloods around her only showed their soft sides when they were around a new addition to the family.

Or not.

"You wish, Bella." Lucius Malfoy countered, sneering in mock defence. "She is a Malfoy."

"Mia is half Black, Lucius. Besides, you have Draco to be the perfect Malfoy protégé."

Everyone present in the room laughed slightly at the rivalry that was still going on between brother-in-law and sister-in-law, even after the marriage between Lucius and Narcissa.

* * *

It was in the afternoon when Lucius was summoned to the Dark Lord, who was still at large at this time. Many people ran away in fear, even if it was just hearing his name.

"Lucius. I hear that Narcissa has given birth to a son and a daughter. Congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Today, the Lestranges captured this Seer," the Dark Lord said in a business-like tone, as he indicated to the old man whimpering next to him, "who is said to have the power to tell the future in mere seconds. He is the great-grandson of the celebrated Seer, Cassandra Trelawney."

Lucius masked his face for an expression of indifference, though he didn't really care. All he wanted to do was to go home and just stare at the twins all day. "Really?"

"Yes. Now, Mr. Trelawney. Do me a favour and I'll give you one in exchange. You tell of my future and I'll spare you of your life."

The man whimpered, clearly frightened. "I'm sorry sir, but I cannot. Telling the future does not come upon a whim, sir."

"You dare defy me? Crucio!"

The old man screamed in agony, as Lucius concealed his barely-visible flinch, inwardly sympathising with the man being tortured.

* * *

A few hours later…

"Lucius. I don't understand." Narcissa said, with wide eyes. "It _can't _happen!"

"To keep her safe. If anyone knows of her birth… they'll take her away from us, Cissy. The Light will take her away if they knew that the prophecy was about her. And also, because they suspect that I am a Death Eater."

"The Dark Lord demands that we kill Mia, Cissy. The prophecy… states that the twins, along with a boy, who will survive the wrath of the Dark Lord. Together, they are going to kill the Dark Lord." Lucius added.

Narcissa's eyes widened at the things and the implications that her husband was telling her, but she remained silent. She glanced up at Lucius with pleading eyes, but she knew that it was vital to keep their daughter safe. The Dark Lord favoured only the sons of his most prized Death Eaters.

"However… there is a way. If you will agree, that is," Lucius said slowly.

* * *

A few days later, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy prepared themselves for the separation from their baby daughter. Before leaving their Manor, they put a strong glamour charm on Hermione, which only they could undo, so that their plan would seem realistic to all. Cloaking themselves to stay warm and taking the small bundle from the crib, they Apparated to the family that was to take in their daughter for as long as they could protect her - their good friends in the Muggle world.

"Little Mia... I love you, so much, darling. We will come back for you." Narcissa murmured softly, as she kissed their baby daughter.

Lucius also murmured something incoherently and kissed their daughter goodbye, for the next eleven years until Hogwarts.

As if the Grangers knew that the Malfoys had arrived with their daughter, the door opened, to reveal a short, plump woman with brown curly hair. She nodded in greeting to the Malfoys, and her heart clenched with sadness at what Narcissa was going through. To not have her daughter growing up under her care – however "sadness" was a complete understatement of her current emotions.

Despite the fact that it was difficult to empathise with her friend, Emily Granger said the one thing that was obvious to all eyes to see. "She's beautiful."

Indeed, she was.

Narcissa remained stoic, preparing a mask of an ice queen that was to last for many years to come until her daughter returned home, for she refused to allow the tears that were to escape from her eyes. After glancing at his wife, Lucius murmured, "Please look after her to the best of your ability. Protect her from any kind of evil. Please."

The woman nodded with her husband, who had just appeared at the door.

"Thank you so much. We are most grateful for your help." Lucius added, not knowing how to approach the situation any further. The woman's husband smiled and both families bid goodbye to each other.

Lucius and Narcissa walked towards the Apparition point and Apparated home, knowing that they were depriving their son, Draco, a sister to grow up with. But they knew it was for the best.

It would be eleven years until Mia would receive her Hogwarts letter. They knew that they would see her then, but for now, they were content to know that she was well-protected with her new 'family'. Nobody would think that the Malfoys had placed their daughter under the care of a Muggle, who were their friends. It wouldn't have seemed right in their eyes.

That's why it was such a fool-proof plan. Nobody would think to search for Mia in a Muggle home, under the care of Muggles.

And so the baby grew up, under the name of Hermione Granger.


	2. Eleven Years Later

_**Chapter One: Eleven Years Later**_

Hermione's childhood years whizzed by in happiness, much to her natural parents' immense joy. On her birthday of every year, they would Apparate to the street where Hermione and her family lived and would Disillusion themselves. They would watch their darling daughter grow up, even if it was only for a few moments, as they needed to return home to Draco to celebrate his birthday.

Sometimes, Narcissa asked herself, whether or not it was the right choice to send Hermione to the Grangers. Lucius, of course, had always emphasised that it was, even though the Dark Lord had gone. It didn't seem 'right' to take Hermione away from the Grangers, for she was still young and didn't understand fully of the reasons why she was with the Grangers. Maybe when she was older, when she was immersed in the wizarding world. Maybe then.

She smiled wistfully, gazing into the window in which Hermione's 'home' was and Apparated away.

* * *

It wasn't long until Hermione turned eleven and received her Hogwarts letter. It was just a normal day during the school's summer holidays, when there was a knock at the door.

At the door, there was a tall woman with a rather prim expression on her face. Her hair was drawn tightly into a tight bun and she wore a stereotypical witch's black pointed hat. The first impression that one would get of the woman was that she was not a woman to be crossed. Out of courtesy and politeness, they invited the tall woman inside their house, with Mrs. Granger offering the woman a cup of tea. Hermione was sitting on the chair, idly staring out of the window. Every now and then, she would scribble down some notes about _something_ of _some sort_ and gaze outside again.

The woman observed Hermione's note-taking of the scene outside the window in deep thought, and suddenly remembered her purpose at the Granger home. She cleared her throat, to indicate that she was about to speak.

"Mr., Mrs. and Miss. Granger. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am a Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to aid in your daughter's enrollment at the Hogwarts. Please listen to me, before you refuse your daughter's enrollment into Hogwarts. When your daughter was first known to the school, it was through an incident when your daughter managed to disappear onto the roof. You may remember that particular incident."

Hermione immediately glanced up in the direction of her parents and the Professor after Professor McGonagall's recollection of her landing on the roof. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were both stunned into silence. _Just how could they have found out about that?_

"Your daughter is a very special child. This is known as accidental magic, when an underage wizard or a witch cannot control their magic and causes some strange things to happen. Your daughter is a very powerful witch, as the records show a frequent amount of incidents that have occurred. If she does not attend Hogwarts, Miss. Granger's magic may spiral out of control."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger remembered a brief explanation from their friend, Lucius Malfoy, eleven years ago about Hermione being admitted to a magical place called Hogwarts. They, had obviously thought that magic didn't exist, and had thought that Lucius had been joking with them. But he hadn't been at all, for he had been telling the truth. He had summarised it quite briefly, giving them some information that was useful for their current situation. They understood Professor McGonagall's coming to their home and knew that Hermione needed to go to Hogwarts, for the random outbursts of magic could not continue any longer and also, it was under the Malfoys' instructions to enroll her there.

Hermione could not keep quiet for any longer. "Mum, Dad. I promise I will keep up with school work. I would really like to go!"

Mr. and Mrs. Granger remained silent, as if trying to ask the Professor to continue with her information that they 'needed' to know.

"Miss. Granger, Hogwarts is not a day school. It is a boarding school in Scotland. You will only be allowed to return home during Christmas, Easter and for the summer, unless something really important comes up at home."

Hermione was silent, wondering whether or not Hogwarts was a good opportunity for her future.

"It will benefit the both of you and Miss. Granger if she went to Hogwarts, as Miss. Granger will learn how to control her magic and both of you will not be subject to Miss. Granger's random outbursts of magic." Professor McGonagall added.

"We will allow Hermione to go to Hogwarts, Professor." Mr. Granger sighed, not wanting to let his daughter go so soon.

"The letter contains all the information that Miss. Granger will need for school. Ah. You can borrow my owl here. And this parchment, for your reply."

Mrs. Granger quickly scribbled a note to accept Hermione's entry into Hogwarts and tied it to the owl, listening to Professor McGonagall as to how to do so. The owl flew off into the distance… and a comfortable silence filled the room.

"Would it be appropriate to go to Diagon Alley now to buy Miss. Granger's school supplies?" Professor McGonagall asked, breaking the silence.

As they did not have anything else to do for the day, the Grangers consented.

* * *

As the day passed by, Professor McGonagall discovered the young Miss. Granger to be a very intelligent and inquisitive girl. With every topic Mr. Granger asked her and every answer the Professor gave, it always led to a stream of questions from the young girl… they were not the questions that had answers that stated the obvious, but they were the questions that one did not expect from an eleven-year-old.

_I do hope she is Sorted into my House._

Disregarding the thought of already being favourable to a student who had not even been Sorted yet, she led the Grangers to a brick wall near London's Charing Cross Road. The professor indicated to the area that looked like ruins to the senior Grangers but the 'Leaky Cauldron' pub to Hermione.

On the brick wall, the professor counted three bricks up from the bottom and two bricks across. She then tapped the brick three times. The wall rumbled loudly and opened… to reveal a busy street, full of wizards, witches and _magic_.

* * *

_Knock! Knock!_

"Draco?" A feminine voice sounded through the door.

"Yes, mother?" The boy sitting on his bed answered, not looking up from his book.

"We will be going to Diagon Alley shortly to buy your supplies for Hogwarts. Do get dressed, won't you?"

The boy with the white-blond hair glanced up from his book and at his mother and nodded.

"Of course, mother."

Draco slid of his bed and proceeded to his wardrobe.

A while later, the three Malfoys were ready to go.

Two 'pops' sounded as they Apparated away to Diagon Alley.

* * *

After converting the Grangers' Muggle currency into Galleons, Sickles and Knuts and also opening a Gringotts bank account for Hermione's access during school, at the Gringotts Bank, Professor McGonagall led Hermione and her parents to Flourish and Blotts. There, Hermione bought her textbooks for school and books to read at her leisure. The Professor told them that she would meet them in an hour at Madam Malkin's, where Hermione was to buy her uniform for Hogwarts. The bookstore was very noisy, as there were monster books stamping on wizards' toes, almost as if the books were chewing off the wizard's shoes, invisible books that one would trip over if they were not cautious of where they were walking (although who would be able to see an invisible book?). It was simply chaos.

Despite the chaotic atmosphere at Flourish and Blotts, Hermione explored the wizarding world in theory, flipping through pages of covers that had caught her eye, while searching for her schoolbooks. It was an intriguing experience that she didn't want to end. She was on the brink of entering a whole new world, and she knew that it was nowhere near the end.

* * *

After their stop at Gringotts Bank to collect some Galleons for the Hogwarts supplies and some extra items, Lucius Malfoy bid his wife and son goodbye, as he made his way towards somewhere that he would not reveal to his wife or his son.

"Where shall we go first, Draco?" Narcissa asked. Draco eagerly pointed towards the direction of a store and they both walked leisurely towards it.

* * *

The store 'bell' rang to indicate to the storekeepers that there was another customer that had arrived into the store. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes gracefully entered the store with her son, who looked exactly like her, but he had stormy grey eyes. The head storekeeper glanced up from his work and noticing that it was Narcissa Malfoy and her son Draco, he quickly abandoned his work and rushed out to help them.

"Mrs. Malfoy! And young Mr. Malfoy! How may I help you both today? Hogwarts textbooks for your son, perhaps?"

"Yes. Could you get the standard textbooks for Hogwarts please?" Narcissa Malfoy asked, her expression impassive, as she handed Draco's Hogwarts supply list to the storekeeper.

The head storekeeper nodded and delegated the tasks of searching the Hogwarts textbooks to his available assistants.

Draco and his mother stood in front of the counter, waiting for the textbooks.

"Mother. May I look around for some books please?" Draco asked suddenly.

His mother nodded. After hearing his mother's consent, he walked off, seeming to scurry through the crowds and disappearing quickly. Narcissa smiled. Her son was an avid reader, but never admitted it. She walked into the opposite direction where more books were situated and was content to observe the crowds and the books around her, savouring the 'peacefulness' she had to herself.

* * *

"Mum! Please… I need to read and know some _actual _information _about magic_ before going to Hogwarts! It's useful for me. Those purebloods and halfbloods will be so far ahead of me and I'll look really stupid in front of everyone else!" Hermione pleaded to her mother.

"Hermione, dear. You've bought lots of books already. You've also bought a book that contains a variety of things about the wizarding world. Perhaps you could save it for next time you come? We still need to buy your _other_ supplies, after all."

Hermione hesitated. It seemed that she did not know what to say for the moment.

Narcissa Malfoy glanced over to the direction in which the noise was coming from, in the more quiet section of the bookstore. To her surprise, she saw Hermione _Granger _and her mother.

It seemed quite a long time when Narcissa realised who Hermione was, when Hermione spoken to her mother. Narcissa gasped audibly, realising that the girl in front of her was her daughter had grown up so quickly. After all, it was only birthdays when she and Lucius Apparated to see her. She gazed, her thoughts scattering far, far away... The other two in front of her were suddenly alerted of her presence.

* * *

**What will happen next? Will N just ignore H and her 'mother', or will something else happen? How will Mrs. G react?**

**Watch this space to find out what will happen next...**

**Oh, and also have a Happy New Year! Have a great 2009!**


	3. Conversation With Narcissa

_**Chapter Two: Conversation With Narcissa**_

Both Hermione and Mrs. Granger immediately looked up towards the direction of the gasp.

It was clear that Hermione did not understand what was going on, for her eyes were glancing rapidly from her mother to Mrs. Malfoy, as if she was watching a tennis match between the best-of-the-best of tennis players.

Mrs. Granger's eyes flashed from annoyance to recognition. Not knowing what to do or what to say, she instructed Hermione to wait for her outside of the store.

"Emily! It is a pleasure to see you after all these years. It is nice to see that you have been looking after Hermione so well." Narcissa's sparkling blue eyes twinkled a genuine smile, something that one would not usually expect from the normally cold and detached woman.

"Narcissa! What a surprise! I did not expect to see you here. Alan and I have been looking after Hermione to the best of our ability." Mrs. Granger replied, smiling slightly.

Narcissa nodded, feeling exceptionally sad for the moment that she could not be with her daughter at every moment of the day.

"Thank you, Emily. For everything." Narcissa whispered. She glanced to the floor and there was a silence between them.

It was Mrs. Granger who broke the silence.

"Well, Hermione and I have to go buy Hermione's Hogwarts uniform. I'll see you soon, Narcissa." Emily Granger smiled.

Narcissa looked up at Emily. "Of course, Emily. I have to go find Draco as well."

The two women bid each other goodbye and went to their respective children.

* * *

Mrs. Granger went outside, to find her daughter curiously gazing around the shops of Diagon Alley. Taking her daughter's hand, Mrs. Granger led Hermione towards Madam Malkin's, where Professor McGonagall and Mr. Granger were standing there, waiting for them. Mr. Granger was asking the Professor some questions that he was eager to know about and the Professor was answering them as politely as she could, for she was tiring of his constant stream of questions.

"Ah. Miss. Granger! I trust you have bought your textbooks for Hogwarts?"

"Yes Professor, I have. Flourish and Blotts has so many things… things that I really have to know – I need to look them up!"

Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiled at their daughter's insatiable curiosity and endless want to know _more_.

_Definitely a Ravenclaw,_ Professor McGonagall thought, almost regretfully.

Upon entering Madam Malkin's, a kind lady approached them with her wand and proceeded to measure Hermione for her tailor-made uniform, as it was for all the other Hogwarts students. Hermione asked many questions regarding the uniform, and to her satisfaction, she received detailed answers from the kind lady in charge at the clothing store.

* * *

Narcissa found her son at the Potions section, his nose literally inside the book.

"Draco? We should be leaving now. Perhaps we could find some nice quills for Hogwarts?"

Draco glanced up at his mother and nodded obediently, but not before he read some more out of his book.

"Draco!"

He glanced up once again and sighed inaudibly, wanting to read more from the book.

* * *

Time slipped through Hermione's fingers as she was having enjoying every minute of her experience at Diagon Alley. She knew that she would have fun at Hogwarts too. It was the kind of feeling that one knew without any doubt.

It was time to leave Diagon Alley. Professor McGonagall smiled a rare smile. She knew that Hermione was a very intelligent child and was looking forward to teaching her at Hogwarts.

"_Hogwarts, A History_ has lots of information on Hogwarts. I suggest that you read it so that you have an idea of what to expect." The Professor advised.

Hermione nodded.

"I will see you at Hogwarts on September the First, Miss. Granger."

Polite goodbyes were said, but not before the Professor told Hermione how to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. A loud 'pop' then sounded.

The Grangers began their way to the exit, where they came out on the side street of Charing Cross Road. It was not long until Hermione and her family had blended in with the crowds, shopping in the back-to-school sales.

* * *

The afternoon was soon fading into the darkness of the night. Narcissa and Draco had been shopping for Hogwarts for quite a while and were almost finished.

"Shall we return back to the Manor, Draco?"

"Of course, mother." Draco murmured, still thinking of his encounter with the skinny, dark haired boy at Madam Malkin's.

_He looked distinctly familiar… where have I seen him before? Is he famous or something?_

"Draco!"

_Never mind. I shall find out at Hogwarts._

* * *

The days leading toward September the First flew by. Hermione had read _all _of the books she had bought at Diagon Alley twice each. She was so excited for the experience that she read _Hogwarts, A History_, five times, two days before September the First. She marvelled at the amount of information she learned every time she read it. It seemed that every time she read it, she read something that she missed off the last time she read it.

Hermione began packing not long after the visit to Diagon Alley. She packed a little bit everyday. Professor McGonagall had enlarged the trunk to fit more items, and so Hermione had chosen a few clothes to take, ranging from a mixture of summer t-shirts to winter jumpers.

She sat on her bed, staring at the tree outside in the garden, wondering how her new life would be like at Hogwarts. After all, she was to enter an unknown world to Muggles and she was not familiar with it at all. _I'll get used to it, sooner or later._

Hermione's mind swirled with thoughts, thoughts of Hogwarts, her family and her friends at her old school. Then her mind banished all those thoughts and the only thought lingering there, was what House she was going to be Sorted into.

She learned from _Hogwarts, A History_ that Gryffindor was for the brave and courageous, Hufflepuff for the loyal and the hardworking, Ravenclaw for the clever, wise and creative and last of all, Slytherin was for the ambitious and cunning.

_I suppose I would like to be in Ravenclaw. Where else can I expand my knowledge?_

A pause.

_But then again, the great Albus Dumbledore was in Gryffindor… surely, I can't pass an opportunity to be in his House! It does seem to be the best... and I can be brave too._

_How can I justify where I want to be Sorted into?_

Her thoughts scattered.

_Hufflepuff and Slytherin… Am I loyal? Am I hardworking? Am I ambitious? Or cunning?_

_Probably not._

"Hermione!" Emily called her daughter.

She sighed, knowing that she had not accomplished anything for the day.

* * *

**What House does our young friend ****really**** want to be in? And D? Will he ever find out who that dark haired boy was? Trust me, and you'll get the deets.**

**Kisses,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	4. Hogwarts At Last

**_Chapter Three: Hogwarts At Last _**

It wasn't long until September the First had arrived.

Hermione was rapidly rushing up and down the stairs, packing the last minute items that she thought she would need.

Mrs. Granger glanced up from her breakfast bemusedly.

"Looks like someone's excited." Mr. Granger commented.

"Mum! Dad! You're not helping! I need to be at King's Cross in _two_ hours!"

Mrs. Granger said soothingly. "Darling… don't worry. You'll make it. Take deep breaths and have some breakfast."

Hermione lifted up her hand to look at the object she was holding so tightly. She sighed and reluctantly joined her parents at the table.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy sighed.

_I'll miss him. He'll be gone until Christmas… I wonder if Dobby has packed all of his things?_

Narcissa decided to take matters into her own hands. It wasn't often that she fretted, for she was worried that Draco wouldn't have enough clothes, enough things to eat… though it was possible to ask Dobby to go to Hogwarts and give whatever it was that Draco was missing to him when he was at school…

With a glance at the grandfather clock, Narcissa stood up and made her way to her son's bedroom, but not before pausing to gaze into the spare room that should have been _her bedroom_…

Shaking her head, she cleared her mind of her unhappy thoughts and walked towards Draco's room.

_They would have been next door to each other…_

She blinked twice and peeped into her son's bedroom.

"Draco? It's time for you to wake up."

* * *

Mr. Granger lifted Hermione's trunk on to the trolley, as if participating in a weightlifting competition. Mrs. Granger steadied the trolley.

_This is it. You are entering the wizarding world, a whole new place, _Hermione thought to herself.

Quickly glancing to see if there was anyone around looking, the three Grangers clung onto the handle of the trolley and ran into the wall in between Platforms Nine and Ten of King's Cross.

In that brief moment, through the Muggle entrance of King's Cross and into the wizarding world of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Hermione felt a rush of adrenaline course through her veins. She was becoming more and more excited for the magical experience that stood right in front of her.

A long, scarlet stream engine waited at the platform that was filled with new and returning Hogwarts students. The smoke hooted from the engine, which covered a large portion of the crowd that was packed onto the platform. Hermione gasped in surprise, studying everything around her in detail. There was a loud sound of cats meowing and owls hooting. She noticed that some of the carriages had already filled up.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger dragged Hermione's trunk off the trolley and onto the train.

A comfortable silence loomed upon them as Hermione and her parents got off the train, Hermione still gazing around the Platform.

Hermione looked at her mum and dad. "I'll miss you."

Mrs. Granger nodded tearfully, as Mr. Granger put his arm around his wife. "Promise you'll write, darling."

Hermione nodded, her face shining with excitement.

* * *

Narcissa and Draco had arrived at the Platform, Narcissa Side-Apparating Draco to the Apparition area just outside King's Cross. Narcissa wanted her son to have his first 'experience' going through the barrier, even though it was through the Muggle way.

Draco knew that they couldn't have tearful goodbyes at the Platform, for it was not becoming of a Malfoy to do so. Their solution instead, was that they had their 'goodbyes' at home, where Narcissa would hug her son tightly, until he couldn't breathe. This could not be shown in front of the general public, for it would ruin the Malfoy image of being a cool and aloof family.

Narcissa scanned the Platform to see who she knew, glancing around for her luncheon friends, and _Hermione_.

"Mother. It's nearly time to leave."

Narcissa snapped out of her trance and looked at her son lovingly.

"I'll miss you darling," Narcissa whispered, so that only he could hear. Draco smiled slightly.

He walked away, but not before they hugged each other. The hug was 'normal', but not as tight as how Narcissa hugged her son at home. It was much more different, as Narcissa was more distant at the Platform, which was merely a mask for the wizarding world to see.

"I love you mother." Draco whispered. Narcissa smiled slightly.

He found Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, already on the train and had already settled into their carriage.

_Oh no. The idiots._

The three boys greeted each other politely, though Crabbe and Goyle's greetings were pig-like grunts.

Draco looked out for the carriage window for his mother, whom he noticed was still standing on the Platform, animatedly conversing with Cordelia Parkinson, Melissa Goyle and Lavinia Crabbe.

* * *

It was eleven o'clock, when the engine hooted, as the train began to leave. Parents waved tearfully to their children, their children waving back happily, having already made friends on their respective carriages.

Hermione met Neville Longbottom, a fellow first year, who had lost his toad, Trevor. She had volunteered to help him search for the toad, which involved knocking on each compartment door and asking if they had seen Trevor.

After knocking on a few compartments, they still had no luck in finding Trevor. Hermione sighed as they knocked on the next compartment.

Sliding open the compartment door, she asked politely, "Have you seen a toad around? Neville's lost his, so could you please help him to find his toad?"

The two boys sitting in the compartment glanced up from their card game and conversation at Hermione, who was already clad in her Hogwarts robes and Neville, who was still in his own clothes.

"Uhh… no, sorry. We haven't." The dark haired boy with the broken glasses and loose casual clothing said.

Hermione inwardly raised an eyebrow at his scruffiness but she sat opposite the two boys. "I'm Hermione Granger, and who are you?"

The red haired boy muttered, "I'm Ron Weasley."

The dark haired boy said, "Harry Potter."

"Are you really? It's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione babbled.

Ron cleared his throat in annoyance.

"It's nice to meet you too." Hermione looked at him in slight disgust, her face not masking it at all, for he had a slight spot of dirt on his nose.

Before Harry or Ron could say anything, she asked curiously, indicating to Ron, "Oh, and you're doing magic right now? Can you do any yet?"

Ron looked surprised at her but cleared his throat.

"_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,_

_Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."_

Swishing his wand a few times, with the last few swishes out of desperation to prove to himself, Hermione and Harry Potter, that he wasn't a hopeless eleven-year-old. It was clear that nothing had happened, as the rat remained his typical rat colouring and stayed asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Perhaps maybe… you were _misinformed _of how to do it. It is possible that you may have been.... tricked?"

Ron looked slightly taken aback and it was obvious because his eyes had widened a little bit. "My brothers said… Oh, never mind. They're the worst pranksters ever… think they're the best in the world… they probably tricked me into thinking that the spell was real…" He trailed off.

"Oh never mind. You can learn at Hogwarts! I'll see you both then." Hermione bid them a polite goodbye.

Ron sighed after she left, hoping that Hermione would not be Sorted into the same House as him.

* * *

"So Harry Potter is in Compartment Number 7, is he?" Draco asked, sitting next to the first year shoe-ins for Slytherin House.

The older Slytherins nodded.

"Well, we'll see for ourselves, won't we Crabbe, Goyle?" Draco stood up and left the compartment, with his bodyguards flanking behind him.

* * *

A crash. For she was an extremely curious person, she rushed towards the source of the sound immediately.

"Just what _has_ been going on here?" She asked, horrified at the sweets strewn on the floor and on the compartment seats.

Again, not allowing the boys to answer, she decided to say something. "You both better hurry up and put your robes on. The driver says that we're nearly at Hogwarts!" Hermione squealed. The two boys stared at each other bemusedly.

"It's my first time here. Nobody in my family is at all magical. When I got the letter, I was ever so pleased and it was such a surprise! Apparently, Hogwarts is the best school of witchcraft and wizardry…" She trailed off, pensively gazing out of the window.

Harry smiled, understanding what she meant. A silence fell upon them.

"Friends?" Harry asked, extending his hand to Hermione.

Without hesitation, Hermione returned the handshake, beaming. "Of course!"

She also extended a hand to Ron, who took it hesitantly.

Ron thought, _I sure hope I know what I'm getting into, becoming friends with her._

* * *

Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, led the about-to-be First Year students down a steep, narrow path. Stumbling on the path, Hermione tried to walk slowly, watching the floor as she walked. This was just too much for her, for she wanted to gaze around the night scene that surrounded her.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid said over his shoulder.

It wasn't long until Hermione gasped, noticing a huge black lake, and atop a steep mountain on the other side was a large castle with many turrets and towers. She was finally at Hogwarts. It already felt like arriving at a new 'second home'.

She joined Harry, Ron and Neville on a boat, which glided towards the castle that was to be their new home, their school. The boats took them into a long and dark tunnel, until Hermione saw the 'shore' that may have been the underground of Hogwarts, and the boats immediately stopped right next to the rocks, everyone stepping out of the boats and onto the ground.

They were brought in front of an oak door, which swung open at once, revealing Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall led them into the Entrance Hall, so grand, that even the richest of First Years gasped at the sight of it.

While everyone was quivering with nervousness, the Professor briefed them about the Houses of Hogwarts and told them to neaten up before presenting themselves in front of the whole school.

Pearly-white and translucent creatures suddenly materialised out of the air. They glided across the room and into the Great Hall, speaking in loud voices to each other. One of them, noticed the First Years and smiled at them, introducing himself as the Fat Friar.

Once again, the Great Hall was very grand, maybe even more extravagant than a wedding set in a ballroom. Cheeks aflame, Hermione felt hundreds of faces staring at her. Instead, she looked up to the ceiling, which was a velvety black colour and was dotted with stars.

_It's bewitched to look like the night sky,_ she thought.

As if by instinct, she looked back down, just in time to see Professor McGonagall place a frayed, dirty, pointy wizard's hat. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the Hat twitch, opening its brim to sing a song.

When the Hat finished, everyone applauded the Hat's song as the Hat became still. Professor McGonagall held a long roll of parchment in her hands and said, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

All the first years nodded. The Professor called. "Abbott, Hannah!"

The Hat was put onto her head, which completely covered her eyes. A moment later – "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table cheered for their new addition to their House.

The names went from "Bones, Susan", who was sorted into Hufflepuff, "Boot Terry" into Ravenclaw, "Brocklehurst, Mandy" also into Ravenclaw, "Brown Lavender" was the first Gryffindor, "Bulstrode, Millicent" was the first Slytherin.

Hermione's heart began to palpitate at a speed she didn't know that existed. Her legs had turned to jelly and it was now trembling, as if one would see jelly being _shaken_ by force on a plate.

It was currently at "Finch-Fletchley, Justin", who was sorted into Hufflepuff, "Finnigan, Seamus," was sorted into Gryffindor and "Goldstein, Anthony" was sorted into Ravenclaw.

Hermione closed her eyes, knowing it was almost her turn to go up to the Hat to be sorted.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione was staring at the ground when the girl next to her, who introduced herself as 'Padma Patil', nudged her. It was then when she realised that "Granger, Hermione" was herself. Again, she took a deep breath and cautiously made her way towards the stool, for the small stool looked unstable and seemed like it would topple into pieces in seconds. Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on her head.

"Interesting, Miss. Granger. You could fit in both Gryffindor _and_ Ravenclaw, almost perfectly! Hogwarts should have a new House called Gryffenclaw, shouldn't it?"

The Hat immediately began to chuckle, shaking with laughter, for the Hat thought his joke was immensely funny. It was when Hermione reminded him that there was a queue of first years still waiting to be sorted when he stopped laughing and gave his most sincere apologies.

"You are extremely intelligent, my dear… and you are most brave! … I still don't know where to put you. Might you have a preference as to which House you might want to be in?"

_I feel that it is your choice, sir. If a student could choose which house they could be placed in, you wouldn't be here, would you? But do forgive my bluntness._

"But, why?" It asked curiously.

_You asked me for my opinion, Mr. Sorting Hat._

It chuckled once again. "A bold, yet intelligent answer, my dear. Nobody has ever been so sharp to me in the past 400 years or so."

"I think I have come to a conclusion, for I have scanned your mind for the right answer. _Use your intelligence for the Light._ RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted into loud, noisy cheers for their new addition.

_Thank you, Mr. Sorting Hat. I am most grateful for your choice. You will not regret your decision,_ Hermione thought.

Hermione stood up and handed the Hat back to Professor McGonagall. She walked down the steps and smiled tentatively at Harry and Ron. Her eyes wished them good luck, for all was silent in the Great Hall, waiting for the next person to be sorted.

At the Ravenclaw table, Hermione introduced herself to her fellow Housemates. There, she met Mandy Brocklehurst, Evangeline Carter and Anthony Goldstein. Some girls slightly older than her, Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe and Iva Toppleton, introduced themselves to her. She was also introduced to one of the Prefects, Penelope Clearwater. The three Ravenclaws got on well and whispered to each other as the Sorting proceeded.

* * *

Time passed by as Draco Malfoy nearly melted from his ice-cold demeanor that was his mask; into a watery pool of liquid that was his nervousness, on the ground of the Great Hall.

_What happens if the Hat doesn't put me into Slytherin?_

"Malfoy, Draco!" Professor McGonagall called suddenly.

Draco looked up from his glare at the ground, for he could not show anyone his extreme nerves that were beginning to invade his whole body and demeanor. Instead, he swaggered up the steps and rigidly sat on the stool. The Hat immediately sensed his whirling mind and screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

But not before whispering, "Be nice to her."

Draco had heard this, but rapidly filed it away for future analysing. His whole body and mind relaxed immediately from its rigid state after the Hat's scream. He joined Crabbe and Goyle who were already seated at the Slytherin table. The Prefects and the older students congratulated him heartily as he sat down, introducing themselves to him.

* * *

"Potter, Harry!"

Loud hisses that were like a snake's spread across the hall like wildfire. Everyone knew and recognised the name that was that of the Boy-who-Lived.

It was a few moments pause until the Hat announced – "GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole Gryffindor table exploded into loud cheers, Harry's sorting being the loudest of the whole sorting. Fred and George Weasley chanted, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

When everyone had settled down, it wasn't long until "Weasley, Ronald" was called out. It wasn't even a second later when the Hat called "GRYFFINDOR!"

When the last student, "Zabini, Blaise" was sorted into Slytherin, the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, welcomed everyone.

It was strange that the Headmaster wanted to say a few words before their first feast at Hogwarts began. His choice of words were quite bizarre, for someone so great, one would have expected a more _sophisticated _choice of words, and not "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

But it was _Hogwarts_.

After the clapping and cheering for the Headmaster's most peculiar speech, the dishes on each House table piled with food, all the food that one could imagine. It wasn't long when everyone had eaten what they could and suddenly, the desserts became visible.

Hermione was speaking to Penelope Clearwater about the classes at Hogwarts. "I do hope that they will start straight away with the practical side of every subject… there's just so much to learn about magic! Transfiguration seems interesting… turning something into something else… apparently, it's supposed to be very difficult…" She trailed off.

Penelope replied, beaming that there was _someone_ from first year who she could talk to about school and studies, for nobody her age was interested in them at all. "You'll be starting quite small, Hermione. It's only turning matches into needles and you know... it only begins to get harder in third or fourth year… that's when things actually begin to get interesting..."

* * *

The Hall fell silent when the Headmaster stood up to speak. He informed them of the start-of-term notices and rules. The students were dismissed for bed. The first years followed the two Prefects, Penelope and Ian, up a marble staircase, through doorways hidden behind sliding panels, hanging tapestries. At the end of the corridor, was a door with a large brass doorknob. Penelope and Ian, explained how the Ravenclaws had to solve a logical riddle, in order to enter the Common Room.

"What is black, white and _read_ all over?" The large sparkling brass knob asked.

"A newspaper," She said. The dark but elegant door swung backward, revealing the Ravenclaw Common Room. It was a cosy, round room with many armchairs for the Ravenclaw students' leisure and studying. After explaining what was to be expected of students at Hogwarts, the boys were told to go up the spiral staircase on the left, which would lead to their dormitory. The girls were told to go up the spiral staircase on the right, which would lead to their dormitory.

Hermione got onto her bed, still chatting to Mandy Brocklehurst, Evangeline Carter, Susanna Lang and Padma Patil, the girls she would share the dormitory with until the end of seventh year. They bid each other goodnight, after a night of gossip, and Hermione immediately drifted into dreamland when her head hit the pillow.

She was finally at Hogwarts.

**What has Hogwarts got in store for our young Ravenclaw? Stay tuned to find out.**

**Kisses,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	5. First Experiences

_**Chapter Four: First Experiences**_

Sunlight began to seep through the small gaps of the closed curtains when Hermione woke up. Muttering to herself about how it was really early in the morning, she grumbled as she sat up and realised that she had forgotten to close the curtains on her four-poster bed, which she had grown attached to only just overnight.

_It's so comfortable. I could stay in there forever…_

Thinking the better of it, Hermione hopped off the bed on one foot, cautiously making her way to the bathroom without disturbing the other girls that were still sleeping in the dormitory.

She brushed her teeth and rinsed her face in water. She _tried_ to brush her bushy hair, but to no avail. Muttering to herself, annoyed, she tied her hair up to get her hair out of her face. She put on her uniform and admired herself in the mirror, noticing that her robes had changed overnight to accommodate a Ravenclaw House badge.

_Hogwarts at last!_

She didn't know what she had that day, so she decided to pack only her stationary, noting that she would only know her schedule when she received it. Hermione also did some unpacking of her things, putting some clothes on the hangers that the school provided for the girls. She hung them on the clothes hooks that presumably, had been stuck to the wall by magic.

Noting the time, she first went over to Padma's bed, as her bed was closest to hers to wake her up. "Padma, wake up," she whispered, tapping the sleeping Indian girl's shoulder slightly.

She did the same when she walked over to Evangeline 'Eva' and Susanna 'Susie''s bed. The four girls blearily opened one eye, and after realising that they were at Hogwarts, four girls sprung out of bed, fully alert, already wanting to experience a piece of Hogwarts action. They made a rapid dash towards the bathroom. Hermione smiled.

Soon, they were dressed and were ready for breakfast. Rushing down the stairs towards the Common Room, the girls opened the door that led to the Common Room. They greeted everyone already in there politely and stepped out of the brass door.

All three of them were giddy, happy that their Hogwarts experience had finally arrived. Arriving at the Great Hall, they noticed that there were already many students heartily eating their breakfasts. They sat down at the Ravenclaw table together, excitedly chatting about the school day that was to come.

It was a few bites into her breakfast when Harry and Ron arrived, silencing the Great Hall, with only barely-audible gasps, whispers and occasional points towards _the_ Harry Potter, the Boy-who-Lived, and the boy who defeated Lord Voldemort when he was a baby. Hermione hummed in sympathy when she noticed the other students' ogling at Harry, for she saw his immediate gulp of nervousness, when he knew that it was _he_ who had quieted the happy chatter of the Great Hall.

A translucent mist materialised out of nowhere. It was a ghost, the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower.

As Hermione was sitting near Marietta "Etta" Edgecombe, Etta told her that she was known as the 'Grey Lady'. Hermione nodded, and introduced herself to the ghost.

The Grey Lady commented on Hermione's personality, which she described as 'bright', for she whispered that nobody liked to talk to her, for she always seemed to be subdued.

Suddenly, at least one hundred owls flocked into the Great Hall, dropping letters or packages on their owners' laps when they found them. Hermione looked around in wonder.

_How distinctly magical!_

* * *

Draco opened one eye warily, the one eye beadily scanning around the room; his hand at the ready to punch whoever had woke him up.

It was Blaise Zabini. The one person he couldn't punch, because he was his best friend.

_How ironic._

"I'll get up, I'll get up!" Draco groaned in protest, holding his hands up after his friend made threats – empty ones, but it seemed realistic at the moment.

The same was happening to Theodore "Theo" Nott, Draco's other best friend, who was still sound asleep, snug in his bed. Blaise had strolled towards the blond haired boy's bed and had started bouncing up and down on the bed. Draco stared at the bouncing boy, who was bouncing giddily on the bed, trying to figure out as to whether he was trying to force a sound out of the bed, or the boy sleeping in it himself.

He laughed his way to the bathroom, finally, when Theo woke up, irritated to see a bouncing dark haired boy on his bed.

"Dude. Go away and mind your own business!"

Draco laughed some more at the comment, fuelling indignant mocking gasps from the other two boys.

* * *

It was soon time to go to lessons. Hermione, accompanied by Susanna, Eva and Mandy, went up to the second floor, up the stairs that were narrow, wide and rickety, through the portraits with the tickling fruits and the famous wizarding monuments in the strange place that was Hogwarts.

They arrived at the Charms classroom and sat towards the front of the classroom at Hermione's insistence. It didn't seem anything like a typical Muggle school, for the Hogwarts Charms classroom looked old and dull, and was only brightened with the sunlight slightly sparkling through the window.

It was when all the first-year students had filed into the room when the first class started that the real Hogwarts experience begun. At the front, everyone gasped when they noticed a small leprechaun / elf / goblin / dwarf man standing on his desk.

"Hello, my name is Professor Flitwick and I will be your Charms teacher…" He spoke in a rather high and squeaky voice, as he explained what the first years would learn during the Charms lessons that they would have during the year.

* * *

The next lesson before lunch was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Hermione noticed that the Professor didn't have to even try to keep the class quiet, for when everyone glanced at her; they were silenced by her prim expression and her stiff posture.

"She needs to loosen up," Susanna whispered to Eva and Hermione. Susanna went silent when the Professor began to call out the register, and one-by-one, the first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws responded when they heard their names being called out.

The Professor then began to explain Transfiguration, which entailed changing the properties of an object. To demonstrate, the Professor transfigured her desk into a pig, much the class's surprise. Immediately after the desk was transfigured into a pig, the class began buzzing about the types of magic they had to do, until the Professor quieted the class and instructed them to transfigure a match into a needle.

"This is so boring," Padma muttered in annoyance, as she had expected more 'fun' activities to do in Transfiguration. Hermione nodded, acknowledging her friend silently as she attempted to transfigure her match into a needle.

_Come on, Hermione. You can do this._

After a few more tries, it was the end of the lesson and time for lunch, as Hermione giggled slightly when she heard Ron's stomach grumbling loudly. The Professor inspected each student's match, and gave Hermione a rare smile, for Hermione was the only one in the whole class who had made any change to their match.

_A true Ravenclaw, _the Professor thought, pleased that she had the pleasure of teaching such a bright student. _Probably wouldn't have fitted as well in Gryffindor anyway. _

Padma, Eva and Susanna patted their new friend on the back for her achievement in class as they made their way to lunch.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Slytherin first years were having their classes in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Herbology with the Hufflepuffs.

Everyone was most excited for the first class, for it was the most 'practical' lesson, and it was where everyone would be able to learn defensive spells and techniques. Draco, Theo and Blaise, behind them, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, were chattering noisily about the class and what they would be able to expect from the lesson.

Though the excitement became more subdued when the three Slytherin students entered the DADA classroom, for it smelled of garlic. Blaise chuckled loudly at Draco's wrinkled expression, as they both knew that they would all smell of garlic for the rest of the day. Apparently, this garlic smell was to ward off vampires, a vampire in particular from Romania, who was out to get him.

The Professor for DADA introduced himself as 'Professor Quirrell', and many of the older Slytherin students predicted that Professor Quirrell would not last for the year, as the past teachers from years before did not. This professor seemed to always wear a turban, which was given to him as a 'thank-you present' from an African prince. The turban had another smell clinging to it, and rumours circulated around that it was filled with more garlic, so that the professor was protected wherever he went. To make things even worse, the class of Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had a professor that stuttered whatever he said. To put it bluntly, this professor was a complete dunderhead, as quoted by Blaise.

* * *

Herbology was slightly better, though the trip to the greenhouse was far away, and difficult to rush to in the space of 10 minutes, if one was lost. This professor actually seemed to know what she was talking about. She introduced herself as Professor Sprout, and she was a short and plump witch.

The class, again with the same Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, were taught the uses and how to care for the plants and fungi that had all these strange names to them. Although the class was rather messy and chaotic, with some of the plants flicking soil in their faces, the class was much more enjoyable than the DADA class.

After Herbology, Draco, Blaise and Theo sprinted out of the greenhouse, rushing back to their dormitory to change and wash off the soil that stuck to their faces and uniform.

* * *

After the hearty lunch, all of the first years gloomily made their way to Potions and the classroom in the dungeons were enough to put them all off. This arrangement was only for the first lesson, therefore it was rather cramped.

There were glass jars containing diced, sliced and pickled animals in them on the wall-shelves, making the gloomy setting even more dull and dreary.

Professor Snape, the Potions Master, had begun the lesson by calling out the register and tormenting Harry, asking him questions that one would not expect to remember all the information.

The Potions lesson proceeded to the extent where the Professor was criticising everyone, but the Slytherins. It was natural, Hermione supposed, that the Professor was biased to those of his own House, especially Draco Malfoy and his friends, but it was all too much!

The class was split into pairs, as the activity was to make a simple potion to cure boils. Hermione was concentrating as she and Eva weighed dried nettles, crushed snake fangs and stewed the horned slugs. It was annoying as to how the Professor kept emphasising that it was only Malfoy and his partner, Theo, were stewing their horned slugs perfectly when Neville had melted Seamus's cauldron, their potion slithering across the dungeon classroom. The green potion was burning holes in various students' shoes, and seconds later; the whole class was standing on their stools. It was easy to notice that Neville was covered in boils, and the Professor was snarling at him.

Neville was taken to the hospital wing, and Gryffindor had lost 2 points as a result of the Potions lesson. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws stared bemusedly at the Professor, for it had not been the most pleasant of lessons.

* * *

Flying seemed to be an escape from the dreary lesson that had been Potions, but it was really annoying to Hermione that the only thing everyone talked about was Quidditch. All four houses were together once again, and it was rather chaotic.

_This is something that I can't learn from a book. What if I fail?_

Hermione was so scared, that Eva, Susie and Padma both gave her big hugs to soothe her anxiety. It seemed to work for a second, but a moment later, she was shaking like jelly again.

Flying was in the sloping lawn opposite the pathways to the Forbidden Forest. Twenty broomsticks lay in neat lines, which were all old, as one could see that the twigs were beginning to sprout out of their moulded shapes.

Their teacher was Madam Hooch, who instructed them to stick their hand over their brooms and say, 'up'!

Soon, a shout of 'up' was heard. Soon, there were still quite a few people who still could not grasp their brooms. Hermione was feeling frustrated that she could not grasp her broom, for it only rolled over like a sleepy person turning away from their alarm clock in the early morning.

Then she did. Extremely pleased with herself, Hermione smiled widely. _An achievement!_

The next instruction caused trouble. Neville was so nervous, that he kicked off from the ground before the whistle was blown. Neville was climbing up so far up, his scared face glancing every now and then back to the ground. Suddenly, he fell, with a loud crack on the grass. He had broken his wrist.

Madam Hooch decided to take Neville to the hospital wing, leaving the other Gryffindors and Slytherins standing, some still holding their brooms, and some looking at Neville in sympathy. The Slytherins teased Neville about his extreme clumsiness, when Malfoy picked up Neville's Remembrall from the grass.

"Give that back, Malfoy," Harry said in a quiet voice. All chatter halted to watch the 'showdown' between Malfoy and Potter. As cocky as Malfoy was, he clambered onto his broomstick and took off. Harry grabbed his broom and followed him up to the sky.

After a few empty-taunts from Harry, Malfoy threw the Remembrall towards the ground. Harry dove down towards the Remembrall in a steep dive, landing on his bottom on the grass, when –

"_HARRY POTTER_!"

Professor McGonagall seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and furiously beckoned Harry to follow her.

Malfoy, Nott and Zabini, with the rest of the Slytherins had triumphant expression on their faces as Harry left, the other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws glaring back at them.

Soon, Madam Hooch returned from her trip with Neville to the hospital wing, noticing that there was a student missing. When she was informed that both Harry and Malfoy had been flying, the bell rang and the lesson ended immediately, the professor staring after her students, fuming slightly at their lack of ability to listen to instructions.

* * *

History of Magic was the last lesson of the day. Slytherin shared this class with the other three houses, Gryffindor Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Much to Draco's annoyance, the class was extremely boring, as everybody else had said.

A translucent mist-like thing glided gracefully into the room. It was a ghost, and he introduced himself as Professor Binns. His voice was monotone, his lessons only comprising of the professor reciting and droning out the dates of events and famous wizards and witches. The whole class was barely awake, only Hermione Granger was the only student fully awake and frantically scribbling note onto her parchment.

From the rumours, Professor Binns fell asleep in front of the staffroom fire and in the morning, he got up and left his body behind him.

Draco noticed Blaise blearily opening one eye to write down his notes, his hand quivering as he fell asleep. Blaise would have a hard time deciphering his notes later. Crabbe and Goyle were both sound asleep, snoring in time to the drone of the professor. Theo, however, was half-awake, his eyes drooping occasionally, then he was alert again, scribbling notes like Hermione Granger.

_Just how could the professor not notice the whole class asleep?_

* * *

Every Wednesday just after dinner, the Ravenclaws had Astronomy lessons with Professor Sinistra, which finished at 10 o'clock, just in time for curfew. The lessons were in the Astronomy Tower, the highest point in the whole of the Hogwarts castle.

Astronomy classes entailed learning the names of different stars, constellations and planets, as well as observing the location and movements of the planets. Sometimes, they had to observe carefully, through their telescopes and magical Astronomy tools, the environment of a particular planet or a moon.

Astronomy classes were interesting, but one had to be wide-awake to last through the class, for the dark space of the Tower invited one to fall sound asleep, which wasn't the best thing to do when trying to make a good first impression with teachers.

Hogwarts was turning out to be more than Hermione expected.

* * *

It was the Halloween feast. Pumpkins were hung everywhere, and Halloween had indeed arrived at Hogwarts. Fake, but realistic bats (or so Harry thought) flocked about in the ceiling. Hermione did not appear at all at the feast, and Susanna wondered why she wasn't at the Ravenclaw table.

Just after the food had appeared on the plates on each House table, Professor Quirrell barged into the Great Hall, running towards the direction of the Headmaster when he collapsed to the floor, whispering,

"There's a troll in the dungeons!"

There was uproar of frightened chatter. Prefects were instructed to lead the students from their Houses back to their dormitories.

Draco felt a distinct and strong pull in his body as he was following the Slytherin Prefect back to the Common Room.

"I feel that someone is in danger." He muttered to Blaise and Theo.

Blaise stared at his friend incredulously. "What?"

"That seems… virtually impossible. How can you feel _that_?" Theo scoffed suspiciously.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "It seems like a prank to me. If it weren't for his eyes with _all that emotion_…" He said mockingly.

"Come with me." Draco almost pleaded with them. Almost. Blaise and Theo were very much aware of the fact that Draco never 'almost pleaded' with them, so they thought that it was important. The two boys followed their friend, who seemed to be listening to something that didn't appear in the flesh.

"Draco!" Theo admonished, sounding slightly embarrassed, for the boys had arrived to the girls' bathroom.

"What can we find here?" Blaise asked curiously, scrimmaging for clues.

A scream.

The three of them glanced towards the direction of the scream in panic. Draco was… right for once. It was rather eerie. They rushed into the bathroom, fearing the worst. There, was Hermione Granger, crouched underneath the sinks, shaking with fear as the troll advanced closer towards her.

"Oh Merlin!" Blaise's eyes were as wide as saucers, and was motionless. "What do we do?"

"We've got to distract the troll," Theo muttered, his mind whirring with ideas.

Draco did the first spell he could think of. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The troll's club jumped out of the troll's hands, bouncing off the troll's stomach and flying up to the troll's head. The troll seemed momentarily dazed, but regained consciousness of its surroundings, its beady eyes looking at Draco, who instinctively stepped back a step.

_Uh oh._

Theo did another spell that they had been learning in class, the troll's attention averting to him. The troll seemed to roar in annoyance, for he kept being distracted by either one of the Slytherin boys. Blaise, however, had gone over to Hermione, who still had her mouth open, wide with terror. He offered a hand to help her stand up.

"Come. It's alright." He said in a reassured voice. It was then when there was a loud 'thump' on the ground. The troll had been knocked out, unconscious.

Suddenly, three Professors, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell rushed in. Professor Quirrell fainted, clutching his heart in a queasy manner. Professor McGonagall couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance. Quirrell was a lousy professor, after all. Professor Snape checked the troll and Professor McGonagall looked furious.

"What were you thinking of? Why aren't you three in your dormitory?"

Professor Snape glanced up resignedly, knowing that Professor McGonagall would deduct points from his house.

"Professor McGonagall. They were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!" The Professor looked from the three boys to the girl. It was rather strange that three Slytherins would look for a Ravenclaw.

"I thought that I … could deal with the troll on my own… I've read about them, and they just seemed so easy to deal with…"

The three Slytherins glanced at Hermione in distinct surprise for a fraction of a nano-second, and masking their expressions the next. Professor Snape noted their surprise, and filed the bit of information away, for now. However Professor McGonagall seemed to take it at face value.

"Miss Granger, what were you thinking?"

Hermione glanced to the floor sheepishly.

"Five points will be taken from Ravenclaw for this incident. I am extremely disappointed in you. I will inform Professor Flitwick about this incident. You should return to Ravenclaw Tower for the finishing of the feast."

Hermione left quietly. Professor McGonagall sighed.

"I think you three were extremely lucky to have taken on a fully-grown mountain troll. It was pure sheer luck. Five points each for Slytherin. You will return to your dormitories."

Once they were outside, the three Slytherins high-fived each other, as they walked back to their Common Room.

* * *

"What was the girl thinking? Tackling the troll on her own?" Professor McGonagall asked, seeming to not notice Professor Snape next to her.

Professor Snape knew better, for his Legilimency skills were so strong; that he knew Hermione had not known about the troll. He knew it was best not to say anything, for when his colleague was ranting, it was best to just pretend to listen.

The four first years became friendlier and less hostile to each other, for if one saved another from a troll; it was likely for this event to commence the beginning of a firm friendship.

* * *

**Three Slytherins and a Ravenclaw? In a friendship? Only more scandals and secrets for me to tell you.**

**Kisses,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	6. At Home, Once Again

_**Chapter Five: At Home, Once Again**_

_- Fast forward to the end of first year…_

Time flew by and it was almost the end of the year.

Hermione was friendly to everyone in her year and they included Harry Potter and his 'sidekick', as he was known as, Ron Weasley. Although some of the Slytherins were not too nice to her, she continued her mask of civility toward them, and they included Draco and Theo. Draco was better than he was at the beginning of the year, but he still insulted her. He might be envious of her better scores in the exams, after all. Theo, on the other hand, was nice, but he was extremely wary when he was around her.

_Why?_

She knew that it was probably because of her blood status, and the fact that she was not as 'superior' as the rest of the purebloods.

_But never mind, really. I suppose it's how they were brought up._

* * *

Rumours circulated that Harry Potter, together with Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom had defeated Voldemort, who had been present in Professor Quirrell's body.

Hermione shuddered as she listened to the rumours, not knowing if it was true or not.

_But I saw Harry in the Hospital Wing…_

Hermione shook her head, for it was not in her nature to gossip or listen to rumours.

* * *

_**Dear Mother and Father,**_

_**You told me to give an evaluation of Hogwarts this year with my comments (will this become a tradition from this year onward, for I find this absolutely tedious work) and after days of thought, I have managed to produce the following report.**_

_**This year, Hogwarts has been the experience of a lifetime. The experience that I cannot obtain by money, by force, but by reluctance, permission and effort, for I could not have come here if you had not allowed me to, and if I didn't want to.**_

_**Although there has been a lack of interesting things occurring, for being a first year does have its disadvantages, Potter, Weasley and Longbottom managed to save the Philosopher's Stone from the Dark Lord. A troll somehow broke into Hogwarts – and I, along with Blaise and Theo, saved a fellow classmate, a... muggleborn (forgive my mistake, Mother) from her doom. Hermione Granger, the know-it-all Ravenclaw who has constantly (and without fail) beat me at the end-of-year exams (with the exception of Potions, of course), leaving me at around second or third, for Blaise and I achieved similar scores. My best grade was for Potions. Is there a possibility that Uncle Severus is slightly biased to me… because he's my godfather?**_

_**I enjoy Potions the best… that's where Uncle Severus torments the Gryffindors… Longbottom in particular. But Longbottom has become more confident and very foolish… he was almost shouting at Uncle a few lessons ago… crossing Uncle Severus is not a good thing. He can get really angry, but I'm not at the receiving end of it, fortunately. Though… it seems like Uncle Severus seems to favour Granger too… she got only a half mark lower than me in the last Potions exam. Is he becoming soft on muggleborns? **_

_**For Quidditch, there has been a lack of events, for I am not in the Slytherin team… yet. I will be… eventually. Potter constantly gets the special treatment because of his status… it's just so unfair. Why does he get everything? Also, Gryffindor won the House Cup… is it me, or am I just so unlucky?**_

_**Friendship-wise, I have become much closer to Blaise and Theo, as a result of the events of this year, and I have found acquaintance-type friends in Adrian Pucey, Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. I find Pans a little clingy… might it be just me, or does she have a little crush on me? It's becoming vaguely irritating. I may just find her annoying in the later years at Hogwarts…**_

The scratching stopped. _Just what to write next? I did tell them pretty much everything…_

_**I very much look forward to seeing you both at home. I miss you both.**_

_And how to end it? Just like always. _He smiled to himself. _The cocky young Malfoy, as Father always says._

_**Your favourite son,**_

_**Draco**_

Draco tied his letter around his owl's leg, and off it went, into the distance…

* * *

Unusual peals of laughter toppled out of the usually composed and cold woman, who sat in her drawing room holding a letter.

Her husband entered the room, with a bemused expression on his face.

"Cissy… I have never seen you display such _unusual_ behaviour!"

"I have not been able to laugh this hard in a very long time, Lucius. Forgive me?"

Lucius smiled, and walked to where his wife was sitting and kissed her forehead.

"Of course."

"Now, what's got your funny bones all riled up?"

She smiled demurely, which was a contrast to the behaviour previously.

"Our daughter and son were competitors in the end-of-year exams. She was first, and he third." Narcissa smiled.

"Let me guess… it was either Potter or Blaise that was second, or some really smart Ravenclaw."

"Blaise was second. Or else he wouldn't have said 'similar' scores." She said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What house is Mia in? I don't believe we ever found out."

"The smart Ravenclaw, of course."

"Well, she couldn't have been in Slytherin." Lucius chuckled.

"Of course not."

"By the way, Draco saved her from a mountain troll."

Lucius glanced up in surprise.

"Draco's letter, and Severus told me. I was supposed to tell you, but maybe things got in the way… and I forgot to." She smiled.

She passed him the letter. He quickly skimmed over the contents of the parchment.

"Such derogatory words about his twin sister! They're not going to like each other much when they find out that they are siblings… twins!"

"They will, Lucius. Eventually. Or, so I hope. Oh, I just cannot wait to have both of my children, together under one roof!" Narcissa gushed.

Lucius smiled slightly, not knowing how to bring up the topic of his agenda.

_Take it slowly._

He breathed in, and out.

"Something wrong, Lucius?" Narcissa asked, her sparkling blue eyes narrowed slightly in concern.

_It's now or never._

He sighed.

"I have heard rumours… that the Dark Lord is back… _was back. _And he will not hesitate to come back… he'll do anything for it - immortality."

Narcissa was silent, but her eyes had widened to the size of a normal house elf's eyes.

He deemed it 'safe' to continue. "He entered Hogwarts, to steal the Philosopher's Stone."

Lucius cringed inwardly.

_Prepare for the explosion. Mass eruption of all the volcanoes in the world…_

He flinched.

"THE DARK LORD ENTERED HOGWARTS?" She thundered, furious, and her sparkling blue eyes had darkened to a grey-blue hue.

"He attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone. In the new DADA professor's body."

Narcissa's eyes had narrowed into slits. She could not _believe _that the Dark Lord had broken into Hogwarts and were so near her children.

"Harry Potter and his two friends, Longbottom and the first year Weasley, defeated him." Lucius added, hoping it was for good measure.

_A pregnant pause._

"But Harry! He's in trouble! The Dark Lord will be after him again!" She cried in worry.

Lucius was silent.

What are we to do, Lucius? What of the Order of the Phoenix?" She asked worried.

"I doubt that Dumbledore will restart the Order. Not yet."

"Might you be implying that _we _join the Order?" Narcissa asked.

"It is dangerous to defy the Dark Lord and _certain_ followers."

Narcissa cringed. _Bellatrix._

"We will have to be more cautious with who we are seen with and where we are, for we cannot be caught at the wrong place."

Narcissa nodded, her eyes wide with anxiety.

* * *

Hogwarts for this year was over. Hermione had enjoyed every moment of it, even the troll incident. She was staring at the clouds outside of the window.

"'Mione! Let's go!" Susie called impatiently, stamping her foot. Hermione shook herself from her reverie.

"You are really impatient, aren't you Susa? Waiting to flirt again, aren't you?" Hermione grinned teasingly.

"Of course she is! She's waiting to pounce on Corner," Padma laughed.

"You don't mean _Michael Corner_, do you Pads? Aren't you a bit young to be _pouncing _on boys?" Eva had just joined them, with a mysterious but evil gleam in her eyes, making their Ravenclaw quartet complete.

"Oh yes. _The _Michael Corner. From our very own house." Padma recited, wiggling her eyebrows as though she were one of the people on gossip TV.

"How scandalous, Pads!" Hermione laughed.

"'Ne, I'm not going to have a chance with him anyway…" Susie sighed.

"You weren't serious, were you, Suse?" Eva asked incredulously. The look on Hermione and Padma's faces said it all. Susie looked away in embarrassment.

"Scandal for the Ravenclaw!" Padma said in a singsong voice.

"OMG! You serious?"

"The look on Susa's face said it all, Evie." Hermione said sweetly.

"'Ne, shut up. Now, let's stop teasing our _darling_ Susa, and go!" Eva called, still laughing about the Corner situation.

* * *

_On the train with the Slytherins…_

"We're going home! Yay!" Theo called, jumping up and down in excitement. Blaise blinked twice in surprise at Theo, while Draco stared at him incredulously.

"Yay!" Blaise and Draco said sarcastically._ Just what could they say?_

"There's nothing wrong with being excited to go back for the holidays, Blaise, Draco!" Theo said indignantly, as his eyes almost _popped _from their sockets from looking so furious.

Blaise grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "There isn't. It's just… the 'manly' behaviour that you usually exhibit is what we're used to… and you're acting like a girly-princess at the moment."

"How blunt of you, Zabini. Good to know that you haven't lost your touch… yet." Draco grinned.

"You're just jealous that you were third, and not first, Malfoy." Blaise said teasingly, flopping his hand in front of him, like one of those stereotypical ditzy socialites.

"Oh yeah?" Draco challenged teasingly, his eyes jumping with merriment.

"Excuse me." The clearing of throat came from the compartment door.

* * *

Hermione was on her way to the bathroom.

"Excuse me." She said. Three heads turned towards the voice.

"Granger."

"Hermione."

Not knowing how to address the Ravenclaw first year… "Her-Gra-mione."

"What gibberish are you talking about, Theo?" Draco asked, sounding slightly skeptical.

"How may we help you, Hermione?" Blaise asked.

She hesitated, not knowing at all what to say.

"Thank you."

"For…" Draco's blunt personality was _on the go_ again.

"For saving me from the troll during the Halloween Feast."

"Again?" Theo asked in disbelief.

"I am most grateful for your help. If not for you three, I don't think I could have gotten away from the troll. I could have died!" She exclaimed, quite dramatically. However, hesitance came from the three Slytherins.

"You're welcome," Blaise managed finally.

Hermione bid them each a polite goodbye.

* * *

Giggles and peals of laughter came from the train, coming from _a few _First Year girls that were the Ravenclaw quartet.

"Who are they?" The girl outside asked the boy next to her. Presumably, the boy is also a first year.

"Evangeline Carter, Hermione Granger, Susanna Lang and Padma Patil." The boy answered, sighing at how nosey his sister was.

"Could you describe them for me please?"

"All four are extremely beautiful… though I don't think Evangeline, Hermione and Padma know it yet. Susanna is well aware of her beauty, for she is the most beautiful out of the four of them. Hermione is the most intelligent, Padma is popular (for she knows _everything gossipy _at Hogwarts) and Evangeline is the most sporty – the more tomboyish one. She does the Quidditch."

"They sound like the _perfect_ quartet, brother… are they like, the 'clique' of Hogwarts?" the girl gushed.

"Lena…"

"Oliver…"

"**Stop it**."

"How am _I_ supposed to know? I mean, it's not like I stalk them… and plus, I'm not even in Ravenclaw!"

"Then how _do _you know?" Lena countered with a cunning gleam in her eyes.

Oliver was evidently at a loss for words, for his mouth opened and closed several times.

He sighed. "There is _the _group with the _perfect _qualities all meshed into one in each year. One for first year, one for second, third, fourth… you get it. _Everyone _knows them."

"Are the popular groups _all _from Ravenclaw?"

"You want to be part of the popular group, don't you?" Oliver asked suspiciously.

"Well... no. I just want to know what to expect, that's all." Lena said, innocently.

Too innocently, in Oliver's opinion.

"So, from the group, who do you like the most?" Changing the type of question she asked was _always _effective.

"Lena, you shouldn't be asking such questions when it's none of your business!"

"So you do like someone… one of them."

"I do not!" He retorted indignantly.

"I will find out, you know. So you tell me now, or I find out and throw it back in your face!"

He sighed. "I don't."

"So you say." She answered back in a coy tone.

_This probably means trouble from her._

* * *

"Mum! Dad! I've missed you so much!" Hermione cried, weaving her way through the crowd and to her parents.

"'Mione, darling! How are you?"

"I am so happy!"

Small talk was made between parents and child, until there was a tap on her shoulder.

"'Ne!"

"'Ne!"

"'Ne!"

"Don't call me that!"

Happy introductions were made between the four best friends' parents.

* * *

After saying their 'masculine' goodbyes, Draco found Dobby, his family's house elf and nodded gruffly. They walked a little distance away from the crowds, nearer to the train driver's office…

"Dobby!" Draco greeted, when everyone else was out of earshot and far away from view.

"Master Draco! It's a pleasure to sees yous again!"

Draco smiled. _Seeing bits of home makes me want to go home even more._

"Are Mother and Father at home?" He inquired.

"Mistress is at home, waiting for Master Draco! Master has gone out fors his errand."

Draco couldn't help but feel disappointed that his father wasn't home.

_What did I expect?_

_Too much._

_Perhaps Hogwarts has given me a flow of creativity… too much of it. Creative imagination that won't come true._

* * *

Afterwards, the Granger family weaved through the many people still at the station. Going through the barrier, they were back at King's Cross, where Mr. Granger went to get his car.

"Oh, darling. You're home at last!" Mrs. Granger gushed happily.

Hermione nodded as she smiled broadly.

_Indeed, yes, mother. At home once again._

* * *

**What's down with our young Malfoy? We hope he's okay. What will the summer bring our Hogwarts first years going into second year?**

**Kisses,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	7. Summer's Surprise

**_Chapter Six: Summer's Surprise_**

Summer. _Summer. __**Summer!**_

Arguably the most boring time of the year. 2 months, with absolutely nothing to do. After experiencing such a wonderful time at Hogwarts… one would not expect to be _so bored_. She sighed.

_Though I do need to catch up on my reading…_

By reading each of her books twice each, in addition to the four times she had read the books during the school year.

* * *

"Mother, is father at home today?" He asked, with a tinge of hopefulness in his voice.

Narcissa glanced up from her book to meet her son's wide eyes. She couldn't say no to those adorable eyes that were her son's. "He should be back soon."

"OK, mother." He leapt off the chair he had climbed up on, and gracefully walked out of the room.

"Draco."

He turned around.

"Why don't you sit here and talk to your mother?" Narcissa suggested. _But this might lead to one of those times when I might accidentally reveal to him about Hermione._

She shook her head from her thoughts, knowing that she could probably keep a secret… for a few more years.

* * *

"Lucius. I thought that I would be expecting someone like you today." The man said quietly.

"You are too kind, sir." Lucius said modestly, to the man shielded in the shadows.

"How may I help you today?" He asked.

"Well…"

And he proceeded to explain his dilemma to the man.

A silence enveloped the room, the silence echoing off the hollow walls as the man hesitated with his answer.

"We wait. With the intelligence around, we are not entirely sure, but it seems likely that it will."

"Of course. Thank you sir."

"Oh, don't call me that, Lucius. I've told you countless times as to how you should address me. No formalities necessary."

* * *

"Hey dudes." Blaise Zabini greeted his best friends.

Gruff responses 'hey dudes' from Draco and Theo echoed off the walls of Zabini Manor.

Before anything could be said though, a loud, flamboyant voice sounded like a loud bell ringing irritably and repeatedly in one's ears.

"Draco! Theo! How have you been?" Blaise's mother had entered the room in her bright neon orange dress and matching neon orange platform shoes. She proceeded towards her son's best friends and smothered them with affectionate kisses.

"Very well, thank you, Auntie Carmella." Draco responded absent-mindedly, and Theo knew he had to say something to distract Blaise's mother from noticing this.

"And you, Auntie? Any latest catwalk gossips?" He asked, helplessly. Blaise hid a badly concealed smirk.

_How intriguing. That's all that we know of to bring up in front of mother._

"Oh, dearie. You know that I don't always talk and think about things. I'm not only interested in fashion, you know. To be quite frank, I really like –" Carmella rambled on… and Blaise, Draco and Theo tuned her out of their listening system, glancing at each other in exasperation.

_Mothers these days._

"Mother," Blaise paused, not knowing how to tell his mother that everyone in the room was bored of her rambling... again, about fashion, which she claimed wasn't her only interest.

"Please could you excuse us?" He asked hopefully.

Carmella stopped, as if only just realising that her son and his friends were present. She nodded, "Of course. Of course."

Blaise and his friends walked out of the room, smirking at the fact that Carmella was nattering nonsense (probably new fashion designs) to herself.

* * *

Suddenly, a tawny owl swooped into the room.

Susie glanced at the owl that she recognised was Padma's.

_**Dear Susa,**_

_**Greetings from a sunny India! It's extremely hot here - I really don't understand why my grandparents (maternal and paternal) won't move to England. The weather here is so much better! (Not that it is **__**that**__** much better, though). It would be nice to see them more often though. Where was I? Ah.**_

_**My dear~ how have you been?**_

Susa laughed. Padma loved using 'my dear' as an endearment to her friends... though when she said it out loud, it came out like one of those Southern drawls like those famous actresses in the 40s, 50s and the 60s. It was just so typical of her.

_**I do hope you've been well. I am very much enjoying myself - will be returning to England by Side-Along Apparition, I think.**_

_**You must be quite bored with my 'small talk' at the moment. Well, I didn't Owl just to talk about my holiday ~ no, I will tell you all about that when you come to visit my home next week!**_

_Huh_, she thought. _That certainly makes this summer all the more interesting. No boys here. Maybe there might be some nearby her house._

Indeed, Mr. and Mrs. Lang had been extremely busy since Susie returned home. The last time Susie had really spoken to them was when she had just gotten off the Hogwarts Express.

_Yes, that long ago._

_**That is, if you come. Parvati is inviting some of her friends - Ina Evanston, Vanessa Ross from Gryffindor and I've invited 'Ne, Evie and you. It will be like a party! We'll have so much fun together! Then you'll have a week to yourself before school again, and we'll meet back at Hogwarts!**_

_I don't mind the Gryffindors... but what will we do at Pad's house? It would get boring after a while... a few days, at the most._ She sighed, shaking herself from her negative thoughts.

_I can't think like this. Mia, Eva and Paddy are my best friends ~ of course I'll have fun with them. Why would I not? I love them to bits already. And it's only first year._

_Although we're different... Mia's extremely intelligent... Pads is extremely popular... Eva's got everything - looks, smarts and sportiness. All three of them are pretty. And I? I'm merely a pretty face in the group. What have I got to offer? I'm nothing without them._

She shook her head violently.

_Why are you suddenly thinking like this, Susa?_ The inner voice asked, in annoyance.

_I don't know._

_What do you think? A great plan, eh?_

Susie snorted. _A week to myself? I need to make arrangements to stay somewhere else. Perhaps Granny might let me..?_

She sighed.

_**Reply ASAP to this Owl **__**immediately**__** when you receive this and you've read everything. I've ordered Mona to wait until you've written a **__**substantial amount of text**__** on your parchment.**_

_**With love,**_

_As always, she's like that. _Susie smiled.

_**Padma**_

Susie was about to fold the parchment until her eyes widened at some ink dripping from the parchment.

_Arrgh. My hands are stained with ink! This is going to take __days__ to get rid of. Padma, __why__ didn't you __check__ the parchment before you sent it to me?_

_**P.S. (I knew you'd notice this! Because nobody else did. And we're Ravenclaws!)**_

_She did it on purpose... I am not very happy at the moment... she's dead when I see her... _She rubbed her hands with some force.

_But you have to! _An inner voice argued. Her sub-conscience. _You've been bored for the past what, 2 weeks? This is your opportunity to spend the next six weeks doing something!_

Susie sighed, deciding to close off her thoughts to read what Padma wrote.

_**I know you're now probably worrying about the stains on your hands. Don't worry, they'll disappear after you've read this post script note. So read this quickly!**_

_That's a relief, Padma. Who taught you how to do that? You'll be teaching me._ Susie smiled.

_**This will be a sleepover - you know, it will be sort of like school, but you'll be at my house! I don't think Mia is coming - she's gone to France with her parents. Eva isn't coming either, apparently.**_

Susie smiled at the sleepover comment, but frowned when she read that Mia and Eva weren't going.

_**xoxo.**_

She closed the letter, smiling once more.

"Mum! Can I visit Padma within the next few days?"

* * *

"Where are we going today, Mum?" Hermione asked, sounding extremely impatient.

Hermione had been very upset when Padma's letter came and her mum hadn't allowed her to return to England and go to her home. Perhaps another time, she said. But what if I never get to go? What if the same thing happens every summer?

_But you don't see them during the school year, _her inner conscience placated calmly._ They do want to see you. You're their beloved only daughter._

_Think about it, dearie._

Hermione sighed.

"I know you're upset that your dad and I didn't want you to go to Padma's house, but we wanted to spend time with you!" Mrs. Granger replied, smiling tentatively.

She plastered her best smile on her face. "I know, Mum. Next year, right?"

"Yes, dear."

Time whirled by and suddenly Hermione was standing in front of a telephone box.

"Mum... Dad..." She laughed weakly.

"I wasn't really expecting this... are you sure this is your idea of.. fun?"

"Of course it is. You'll see." Mrs. Granger smiled in excitement. Hermione looked at both adults, bewildered by their strange mood.

"Now, how did she say it had to be done?" Mr. Granger asked, stepping into the telephone booth and taking the telephone from its stand. He stared at the telephone blankly as Hermione and her mother stood outside the box.

Mrs. Granger looked around them, as if she was scared that someone would see them there.

_Who would see us here?_ Hermione thought confusedly.

"Done it!" Mr. Granger said happily.

"Step in!"

Hermione stepped into the already-cramped telephone booth that only held her father, with her mother.

A whoosh. A crack. Nothingness.

And only darkness remained.

* * *

**Just where are Mr. and Mrs. G taking their daughter? Who was the mysterious man that L talking to? Ooh.. the bubbly is bubbling viciously now!**

**Hugs and Kisses,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	8. Le Belle Boulevard

_**Chapter Seven: Le Belle Boulevard**_

"Darling. Wake up now." A comforting, feminine voice sounded from a distance as Hermione felt her shoulders being shook.

"Emily dear, perhaps this wasn't such a good idea…?" Alan asked hesitantly.

Hermione blearily opened her eyes to the sound of a soothing tinkle of music that came from faraway… She glanced quickly at her dark surroundings, but not before groaning and gently laying her head to the concrete ground that seemed so _soft_… just what was that? A pillow?

It probably wasn't. _Mum or Dad's knees, maybe. They're rather squishy…_ She was surprised that she could conduct such coherent thoughts while her mentality was fizzing around everywhere.

"Mum… Dad… where _are_ we?" Hermione managed to croak out hesitantly after a long pause of silence that had managed to enter the dark place they were in.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiled broadly.

"Darling, we really must get going. You've been out for around fifteen minutes. So little time… but we have so much to do and see!" Mrs. Granger smiled as she took her husband and daughter's hands and dragged them out of the dark tunnel that had dipped candlelights leading to the bright sunlight.

_I've been unconscious for the past fifteen minutes? _Hermione looked at both adults in confusion.

"You've just been lulled to sleep by the tinkly music. It's all part of the first-time experience here." Mr. Granger reassured her.

_First time experience? Where? Mum and Dad have been to wherever we are now? _She wondered, as she shielded her eyes and pale face from the bright light.

"Welcome to Le Belle Boulevard!" Mr. Granger grinned holding his hands up.

Hermione gasped and immediately gazed at her surroundings that were beginning to focus into view.

She was standing at a 1940s styled French street… but the difference was that the small buildings and sidewalks were all of different, quirky and artistic colours and that dreamy tinkle of music she heard in the cave-like place was still chiming away in the air… soothing away all her troubles that she subconsciously had.

Hermione whirled around to find that the cave-like place was disappearing away into thin air, just like an illusion that made it seem like she was hallucinating not a few minutes before…

"That famous wizarding street I told you about at Christmas!" Hermione's eyes had widened to the size of a house elf's.

"Yes darling. And we're here!"

"How did you…?" Hermione trailed off, her face already furrowed in thought.

"We wrote an Owl to your Professor McGonagall and she told us how to come here!"

Hermione squealed and immediately hugged her parents gratefully. "Thank you so much!"

The smell of fresh bread and pastries wafted and lingered in the air from the corner patisserie… there were flowers magically planted into the concrete ground and singing joyful, happy French songs… It was really a dream come true. She was in awe of all the things around her… indeed it was a magical experience to remember – the first time she ever stepped into a foreign magical community!

Hermione hummed along to the song that the roses were singing, clearly in euphoric bliss at the fact that her parents were willing to sacrifice the sightseeing time in Paris for the Parisian magical community – all for her!

"Ladies… we have to remember that we don't have all day to be standing here and gasping at the sights of Le Belle Boulevard. It may be a designer street for all those purebloods with loads of money, but…" Mr. Granger was interrupted by Hermione.

"Dad, but how about the money? The Galleons, Sickles and Knuts? We can't exactly go shopping if we don't have any money. Apparently, the French don't accept anything but the…"

"Hermione. Don't worry! Your mother and I have it all sorted."

The creases of worry on her face ceased to dissipate as her expression clearly stared at her parents in disbelief.

_No way. This is so cool._

"Darling, be serious. Have your father and I ever not sorted something before going somewhere on holiday?" Mrs. Granger asked in a motherly tone.

"Well… no." Hermione said sheepishly.

"Okay… let's not waste any time… I heard this place is wonderful..." Mrs. Granger trailed off, slightly dreamily.

"Then let's go!"

A walk down Le Belle Boulevard, which represented high society France in the 1940s. A walk down history's lane, which was indeed, a distinct contrast to London's Diagon Alley, which was a dull and dreary comparison.

* * *

"Draco! Come on!" Narcissa called from the staircase of Malfoy Manor.

"Mum, shut up." He groaned sleepily, turning away from the direction of his mother's voice.

"DRACO!" His mother shouted.

"Okay, okay. I'll wake up!" He said loudly, resigned to wake up so early. The time between _6:00 to 9:00-9:30ish _did not remotely _exist _in his mind during the summer. Only at school it did.

Twenty minutes later…

Narcissa was glowering at her son. "We could have gotten the trip done earlier, Draco, if it weren't for you getting up so late."

Draco nervously glanced flickeringly at his mother exasperatedly, but decided not to say anything. _Shopping again._

"My annual shopping trip – you always come! We've made it a tradition since you were six and…" Narcissa rambled on, frustrated with her son.

"Not that I like it," Draco muttered in annoyance.

"Draco!" His mother admonished. "Don't you like spending time with me?" She asked, her blue eyes diluting.

Draco's eyes widened, knowing exactly what his mother wanted. _Oh no. The guilt trap that always works with Father and I._

_Women. _He sighed inaudibly.

_It was nice knowing you Draco. _His sub-conscience muttered.

_It's nice knowing that you don't have my back!_ Draco retorted sarcastically.

"Mother. I love spending time with you. Maybe just not… shopping. Something else, perhaps, that we _both_ prefer?"

"Now that you say that…"

* * *

Hermione and her parents had gone towards the places that had been recommended by Professor McGonagall, which were mainly in the English sector of Le Belle Boulevard, despite the fact that the Grangers were reasonably fluent in the French language. They stood in front of a store, where they were mesmerised by the large and sparkling gold letters that said _WELCOME TO QUILL ARENA!_

"Wow… a whole store just for_ quills_?" Hermione gasped in wonder.

"Professor McGonagall told us about how well you're doing at school, so you can buy as much as you like here!"

_Wow… as much as I like? Professor McGonagall must have been really shining Dad's shoes._

They entered the store with vast imaginations of what the store would be like. Inside the store, was an orchestra of merely instruments playing / strumming notes of beautiful melodies and harmonies. Hermione gazed around and rushed towards the '_MOOD QUILLS: All you can find moods' _section. There, at the little section of the store, were wizards and witches alike, testing and scribbling onto scraps of parchment, to see what their moods were at the moment. Pinks, blues, yellows and oranges, it was rainbow galore in the store. Hermione noticed something she'd never seen before: _THE INVISIQUILL: Perfect for hiding quills or your secret messages away from the peeping Toms… THE CORRECTIQUILL: All your mistakes gone within a millisecond! _There were so many types of quills to choose from, quills that were not even available back in Britain.

Hermione sighed in happiness. _I won't ever want to go to Diagon Alley again after this! I'll have to come here regularly. I wonder if Mum and Dad will let me…?_

Indeed, based on the impression of _Quill Arena_, it seemed to Hermione that the wizarding stores in Britain, Diagon Alley in particular with all its magical technology was quite backward compared to that of Le Belle Boulevard.

She sighed. _I could stay in here forever… and it's only one store! Who knows what other stores have here at Le Belle Boulevard… it's a magical heaven._

After buying two of each of the correctiquills, invisiquills, mood quills, plain black and navy blue inks and fun inks that changed colour after every few words one wrote on some special parchment, Hermione and her parents stepped outside, to find long snakes of wizards and witches clustering and admiring a performance in the middle of the street.

Loud music came from the howler-like speaker mailboxes that appeared out of nowhere. Everyone seemed to be jiggling and jangling to the drumbeat, as well as learning the street performers' moves. It was even more spectacular than that of Muggle London's Oxford Street's parades. The performers wore these unusual costumes, not like those you'd expect from Muggle London. Hermione noticed a few performers, whose sparkly clothes were changing every few sentences to suit the background of the moving performing cars. One moment, it was an ocean theme and the next, a futuristic theme, where the wizard and witch performers wore muggle space-like suits that were of garish colours that anyone would recognize as a futuristic theme. There was also a Disney princess-like theme, where performers were dressed like the characters from The Tales of Beedle the Bard and the muggle fairytales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. Indeed, it was a wonderful experience. Especially for the first time.

It was another half an hour later when the street performance finished. Everyone was in high spirits while an embarrassed Hermione dragged her still-boogieing and singing parents towards a designer store, _Ella_, that all the purebloods went to, which sold all kinds of robes.

"Mum… Dad… you're embarrassing me!" Hermione hissed audibly, gritting her teeth into a forced smile.

_Honestly… there should be a law enforcement banning parents with off-key voices from singing. Ever._

"Sorry darling, but the performance was great… the music was so groovy!" Mr. Granger gushed, still swaying his hips from side-to-side and flinging his hands everywhere to some invisible beat.

_Groovy, _Hermione grimaced as she glanced around, trying to sink to the ground, to disappear on the spot from increasing embarrassment that would not dissipate.

_Parents these days. They never cease to stop embarrassing you!_

"Hermione darling, come look at this," Mrs. Granger called from the corner, effectively stopping Mr. Granger's 'groovy' dancing. She held up some shimmery silver robes.

"Beautiful fabric, isn't it?" Mrs. Granger sighed, wishing she was young and able to wear such clothes again. Hermione nodded.

"Zat vill bee three hundred Galleons." The witch from the counter said condescendingly, as if she thought that the Grangers could not afford the expensive but beautiful dress.

For a second, Mr. Granger glanced at the young French witch arrogantly, the expression dissipating when he told her in fluent French that they had enough money for the dress.

Tension simmered away when Mrs. Granger gestured to the sparkling dress on the floating coat hanger.

"Try it on, won't you 'Mione?"

For a moment, it seemed that Hermione did not want to try it on. Despite this, she plastered on a bright smile for her parents and took the dress into the invisible area where there were dressing rooms for wizards and witches alike to change in.

"Would you like a mirror?" The young witch at the counter asked timidly, after being put in her place by the male Granger. Mrs. Granger shook her head politely, smiling as she waited in anticipation for her daughter in the shimmery silver dress.

_She's a buck-toothed girl who is as small as a dwarf. She won't look nice in anything available in this store_, the young witch thought maliciously.

It wasn't long until a curtain was heard being pulled back.

* * *

"Mother. Where are we going?"

"We'll go to a place where I like and then we'll go to a place where you like. Is that fair now, darling?" Narcissa asked, her eyes shining at this bright idea.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're going to purposely spend a long, long time at this store that was pictured in some fashion magazine you read a few days ago. Then when we leave, I'll be so tired that we can't go to where _I_ want to go, Mother. The idea is getting _old. _I mean, even _I_ know it."

Narcissa sighed. _My son's rather intelligent. And I thought I was being rather cunning and devious._

Draco gave her a pointed look that only a son could give his mother and sighed.

"Mother, since I know how much you love shopping, so we'll go wherever you want to go today, okay? We'll go where I want to go another time."

Narcissa wore a brilliant smile after she heard this. Shopping with Draco – her favourite person in the world (apart from Lucius, of course) and her biggest passion was the best combination ever. Even if her son could be moody and annoying. She still didn't mind.

"Where shall we go then, Mother?"

* * *

Three loud gasps echoed off the walls. All were of surprise, but the three people gasping had distinctly different expressions on their faces.

The man had an expression that we can't exactly identify with at the moment – it could be pride, at the fact that the girl he was looking at looked stunning. There is a possibility that he could be expressing different emotions that he cannot conceal right at this second, or maybe disbelief, at the fact that the girl, presumably his daughter, has grown up.

The older woman, however, had a distinct look of joy and happiness. She clapped her hands together and ran towards the girl, examining the length of the dress, to see whether or not the dress actually _fitted_ on the girl, also presumably her daughter, and she properly checked the material that the dress was made of, in case it was too thin.

The younger woman standing further behind the man and his wife had a look of shock and dismay. _You have got to be joking. Bushy-hair __cannot__ look good in this store's clothes. It's not right! _

The young assistant plastered on a fake smile and gritted her teeth to say the honest compliment that her customer truly deserved. "Mademoiselle, you look beautiful. The dress suits you."

Hermione glanced up from the ground, shyly, "Thank you."

Mrs. Granger glanced at her husband quickly and in mere nanoseconds, they made a decision.

"We'll take it."

Hermione looked taken aback. "What?"

"We'll buy it." Mr. Granger said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But... I won't have any use for it. It would be a waste of money!" Hermione said frantically.

_Don't buy it, don't buy it, don't buy it! _The young shop assistant chanted in her mind.

"Of course you will have _some _use for it. I'm sure there will be a ball or a party of some sort at Hogwarts." Mr. Granger replied in a placating tone.

Mrs. Granger's eyes had a soft gleam to them, which Hermione seemed to not notice, but _**to us, as the readers, we know that she knows something.**_ _**Something that Professor McGonagall told her, perhaps? We may find out soon… so watch this space.**_

"'Mione! Look at these beautiful robes! You have to try some on!" Mrs. Granger squealed, feeling like a teenage girl who was shopping for party clothes again.

"Mum… I don't think that's such a good idea. We've been here for so long and…" Hermione was interrupted by her mother's finger that made a zip-like closing motion across her lips.

"Darling. This might just be the last time you get to come here."

Hermione hesitated and sighed, before taking the robes huffily and reluctantly into the invisible changing rooms.

* * *

"Mother!" Draco struggled to keep up with his shopping-motivated mother, who was walking in strides compared to his teeny tiny steps along the street.

She suddenly stopped; the clicking of her heels had halted to a silence, causing her son to bump into her. "Yes, Draco?"

He gazed up at her with his puppy-dog eyed expression.

"No. We are not going home just yet." Narcissa replied, averting her eyes from her son's expression, which had the uncanny ability to make her / stop her doing something he liked or did not like.

Silence wedged between the mother and son, the former's eyes were flickering from store window to store window that stood along the street and the latter's eyes were of extreme boredom and weariness.

"Mother!" Draco whined, deciding to put an end to the silence that drummed in his ears.

"Stop whining. I'll spend even longer if you keep this behaviour up." Narcissa admonished him.

More whining came and went, until Narcissa had enough of the supposed quality time she was spending with her son.

"Last store! Last store!" She repeated in annoyance, secretly wishing to spend more time shopping.

* * *

A sigh. Then a tinkle of bells ringing slightly soothed her annoyance with trying on so many clothes.

"Mum. The mirrors don't indicate anything good _at all _about these robes."

"Come on, 'Mione! You look fabulous in robes! You know, we should buy more, so that you can wear them at Hogwarts!" Mrs. Granger gushed. "We've already seen what you look like in the other robes, so why should you not look good in these robes that you've got at the moment in there?"

Hermione groaned inaudibly. "So why do I have to bother changing into all these robes when you have already implied that you know what I look like in robes?"

"So that we know what colours you look best in." Mrs. Granger replied pointedly.

Hermione knew better than to argue any further. She threw open the curtains, expecting to see her parents' dismayed reaction with the robes.

Instead…

_Do I know this person?_

The person stood there, shell-shocked, staring at Hermione in her beautiful robes.

She shook off her surprise.

"Hullo Granger."

* * *

_**The Lady of Secrets here. The only source that brings you all that you want. I just couldn't resist adding some of my comments.**_

_**Oh my. Mia dear, who have you come across now? Surely, summer's a break, and not a place for more scandals and gossip?**_

* * *

"Malfoy." She nodded in greeting. She looked at him, wondering what he was doing there.

"I was looking for my mother." He responded quickly and disgustedly, at the fact that she was insinuating such things!

Mrs. Granger rushed to her daughter, shooing away the young and condescending store assistant. "Darling, you look absolutely stunning! Red does suit you best. Haven't I told you countless number of times?"

"Draco, darling, what do you think of this?" Narcissa strode into the room, with one of the shop assistants trailing after her.

All the people in the room halted in what they were doing and peered at the blonde haired woman standing there.

As if only just realizing that there _were _other people in the room, Narcissa ended her stride into the room towards her son and scanned the people there. Slightly embarrassed, she shooed away the store assistant behind her.

The store assistant muttered, "If you need me, I'll be nearby."

Mrs. Granger was the first to stop examining her daughter's dress.

"Narcissa!" She exclaimed.

"Emily!" Narcissa exclaimed, clearly in surprise at seeing her muggle friend at a pureblood designer store.

Internally, she slapped herself. _I can't be like this. This pureblood supremacy habit must stop. It will be your downfall if you continue this._

"How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you."

Niceties were exchanged between the two women and Mr. Granger; the 'how are yous', the 'I'm fine thank yous' and so on.

Draco and Hermione glanced sideways at each other. Their parents knew each other.

_If Mother is so publicly cavorting with muggles… does that mean Father does too?_

_Mum and Dad know Narcissa Malfoy? A pureblood!_

"Ah yes. Hermione!" Mrs. Granger called.

The young Hogwarts students perked up at the sound of Hermione's name.

_This ought to be interesting_, thought Draco smugly. _Granger won't know how to conduct herself under Mother's intense scrutiny._

_**Oh Draco, how we long to tell you how wrong you are. You never know what's about to stab you… somewhere nearest and closest to your heart.**_

* * *

_If Alan and Emily Granger are here… she must be here too! There's no point in them coming if she's not going to be here. … Unless they do wear wizarding robes… It's unlikely, right?_

Narcissa continued debating with her thoughts as she nodded in the conversation until she heard, "Ah yes. Hermione!" Emily Granger called.

Her heart pounded as quickly as several flashes of lightning flickering in the sky as she mentally prepared herself to see her daughter. Emily noticed her best witch-friend taking some deep breaths.

_A one-sided reunion that will involve acting on Narcissa's part_, she thought sadly.

Emily Granger had grown to love her witch goddaughter like a proper daughter, but inside, she was always very much aware of the fact that it was her priority (and Alan's) to keep Hermione safe, for it had been a favour done for her best wizarding friend.

Still clad in her cerise robes, Hermione obediently walked up to where her parents and Narcissa were standing.

Both mothers panicked.

_How am I supposed to make it seem like Narcissa does not know Hermione at all?_

_How am I supposed to act like I'm not her mother?_

"You must be Hermione! It's a delight to finally meet you!" Narcissa exclaimed with fake happiness and enthusiasm that one would not be able to detect if they did not know her well, as she wondered whether or not her acting was authentic or not.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy. It is a pleasure to meet you." Hermione greeted, smiling demurely.

A silence was jammed between the three adults and child- young lady.

"Well don't you look beautiful in those robes, my dear! Red does indeed suit you." Narcissa launched into her small talk with the young Ravenclaw.

In contrast, Draco was standing a few metres away, gobsmacked, at the niceties being exchanged between the muggleborn and his pureblood mother.

_Mother's treating her like the daughter she's never had… _he shook his head at his thoughts and reassured himself. _Dude. It's Granger! Who would want her as a daughter?_

_I can't think like this. Purebloods and mud-muggleborns are the same. We're equal. Right?_

"Well, you know my son. You both go to Hogwarts and you're in the same year!" Narcissa beckoned Draco towards where the adults and Hermione were standing.

_Mrs. Malfoy seems to be very nice… the complete opposite to her son… who is a cool, aloof and conceited person._

_But he did save your life from that mountain troll_, her subconscience reminded her.

_I suppose he can't be... too bad if he saved me… well, he, Blaise and Theo. I feel like vomiting blood right now._

Draco shuffled towards them and knew what was expected of him.

"Hullo Granger."

Hermione glanced up from her stare that was drilling a large hole into the ground.

"Hello Malfoy."

Narcissa felt a sting of pain, colliding with her heart and smashing it into thousands of millions of grains. Her children were not supposed to act like this… calling each other by their surnames… Hermione's wasn't even the correct one. Emily audibly (just so only Narcissa could hear) hummed in sympathy as she noticed Narcissa's wrinkle-free, youthful face very slightly clench into distress and sadness. Narcissa smiled slightly at Emily's attempt to make her feel better. Indeed, Narcissa was aware of the circumstances that had brought them through to this moment in time, but she just couldn't extract it away from her thoughts.

Emily and Narcissa caught up in their conversation together and Mr. Granger struck up conversation with his daughter and Draco. Although it was awkward at first, the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin slowly began to relax their stiff and guarded expressions around each other. Instead, they plastered on cautious smiles on their faces.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye. For Draco and Hermione, it meant that they were finally free from their captivity in the clothing store and shopping in particular. For Narcissa, it was her 'one-sided reunion' with her much-missed daughter. For Alan and Emily, they were just happy to do a favour for their best wizarding friends, Lucius and Narcissa.

* * *

**It is a matter of circumstance and coincidence that D and H keep meeting again. Poor N. We know how much she wants her children back together under the same roof. But Lord V is rumoured to be on the rise again. The light seems very far away… Maybe in the distant future they might unite as brother and sister. Watch this space.**

**We know how the story goes. Whenever things seem to be becoming better, something just has to come ruin it. Good against Evil. The epitome of what all stories are about.**

**Until next time.**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	9. Beware Of The Heir

**_Chapter Eight: Beware of the Heir_**

A long snake that was the scarlet Hogwarts Express sat waiting at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Squeals and screeches of joy filled the station's atmosphere. Students from all years reunited with their friends of different houses. In particular were our favourite Ravenclaw second years, Hermione, Evangeline, Padma and Susanna.

"'NE!"

"EVA!"

"PADDY!"

"SUSA!"

Many cringed at the girls' falsetto tones of delight that eerily echoed off the walls as the girls hugged each other tightly. Their reunion was a much anticipated one by the rest of the Hogwarts student population, for they had become one of the more prominent and popular groups that stood out within the Hogwarts crowd.

Mrs. Weasley gazed towards the high pitched sounds that came from all the way across the platform as Mr. Weasley loaded Ginny's trunk onto the Hogwarts Express.

"Darling, I'm sure you will make some friends. Look at those girls over there – they look nice. Why don't you walk over there and introduce yourself?"

"Aren't they the ones that Harry and Ron briefly mentioned about over the summer?" Mrs. Weasley asked again.

Ginny looked up to check just for good measure. "I think so."

Silence had weaseled itself in between mother and daughter. Mrs. Weasley broke the silence by sighing dramatically. "They won't bite, you know that Gin?"

Ginny groaned. Mrs. Weasley smiled at her daughter knowingly and gave her one of her famous 'Mrs. Weasley' hugs.

"Mum… ribs… can't… breathe!" Ginny gasped for breath. Mrs. Weasley had a watery smile on her face for her daughter.

"Now, just where is Ron and Harry?" She glanced around, looking for a prominent auburn-ish coloured hair and a dark brown that was almost black hair who were her son and Harry Potter.

Ginny took this as an opportunity to sneak away and find some other new students that her mother wasn't pressuring her to make friends with.

"Mum… the train leaves in exactly a minute," she remarked casually, looking at the clock on the wall.

Mrs. Weasley tore away from her worries as her eyes widened, realising that her youngest child would miss the train if they didn't hurry up.

"I love you darling," Mrs. Weasley murmured as a small tear escaped from her eyes.

"Me too," Ginny smiled as she boarded the train.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but there doesn't seem to be any more seats in any of the compartments. Would you mind if I sat here?" The white-blonde haired girl asked uncertainly, standing with another girl with her, who had light brown hair and tan skin, after knocking on the compartment door. Ginny nodded, relieved that she wasn't going to be alone in the compartment after all.

"I'm Luna Lovegood. This is Helena Bones, but she prefers to be called Lena. What's your name?" The girl asked, smiling in a trance-like state.

"Ginny Weasley. It's nice to meet you both." Introductions were made between the girls.

A moment passed until Lena asked, "What house do you want to be in?"

Ginny was silent for a moment, as she mulled the question over in her mind, not entirely sure if she wanted to be in Gryffindor like every other member of her family had been.

"I don't mind, actually. I wouldn't mind being in Ravenclaw. The Weeziples said I'd be in Ravenclaw." Luna said thoughtfully.

"Gryffindor probably," Ginny sighed.

"Why the sigh?" Lena asked in concern. Ginny glanced up at her, smiling slightly.

_I think Lena would be nice too. She'd keep me sane from Luna's eccentric comments._

"I just don't want to be like everybody else. But I'm not entirely sure if I want to disappoint anyone…" It was too late when Ginny realised that she had blurted all her thoughts out into the open.

"I get that too." Lena agreed. "My whole family has been in Hufflepuff for centuries. My brother Oliver too. There's a lot of pressure."

Ginny nodded, knowing of the expectations that lay on their shoulders.

* * *

They were at Hogwarts once again. _Their second home_, as Professor McGonagall said the year before. Students were stepping off the carriages and making their way towards the carriages, where the Thestrals would take them to school.

Meanwhile, Blaise, Draco and Theo were catching up on their 'missed' conversation, which wasn't much, but they were still talking anyway.

"I wonder what this year will bring us…" Theo mused to himself.

"Fun and mischief, perhaps?" Blaise said with a gleam in his eyes.

"You wish, dude," Draco scoffed.

* * *

The hat had begun its annual song.

"Are you ready?" Lena asked her new friends.

"Now or never," Ginny grinned nervously.

"So whatever houses the sorting hat places us in, we'll still be friends, right?" Luna asked anxiously.

Ginny and Lena stared towards the front, nodding.

"When I call out your name, you will come up to the stool and put on the sorting hat." Professor McGonagall began calling out the names of the new first year students.

"BONES, Helena!"

_Hufflepuff._

"LOVEGOOD, Luna!"

_Ravenclaw._

"WEASLEY, Ginevra!"

_Gryffindor._

To each of them, the hat said the same thing. _You'll understand why soon…_

The three girls smiled wistfully at each other from their respective house tables as the sorting went on for a while longer until all the first years had been sorted.

* * *

After the sorting had finally finished…

"Welcome back to Hogwarts!" Professor Dumbledore said jovially.

Hermione smiled. As usual, the Headmaster said his eccentric words and the start-of-term feast began._ Indeed, it was great to be back at Hogwarts._

After the feast, there were the annual notices – what Filch did not want them to do, the rule of not entering the Forbidden Forest, etc. But this year, it was slightly different to what the Headmaster normally said to the school as a whole.

"Remember, watch each step you take towards the big picture. It can affect all the colours and the shapes of it." The Headmaster had a slight twinkle of mystery in his eyes.

Houses were dismissed as students made their way back to their 'homes' for the rest of the year, the Ravenclaws pondering upon what the Headmaster meant by his comment. Perhaps there was something huge event that was to happen that year?

Ginny followed her new friend, Nina, also a new Gryffindor, up to the first year girls' dormitories. And a thought hit her: _just where were Harry and Ron?_

* * *

_At breakfast the next day…_

"What kind of possibilities are there?" Hermione asked, her voice becoming slightly impatient. "I mean, the Headmaster must have been trying to imply _something_ to us!"

"Mia, you've been asking that question since _last night non-stop._ Why don't you just let it go and eat something?" Susa asked, her tone becoming more bored and annoyed as she neared towards the end of her suggestion to her friend.

Eva sighed pensively, placing her palm to her chin. "I agree with Mia. Something is up. A headmaster wouldn't normally say something like that, even for a magical school."

Susa raised her eyebrows, until they had disappeared under her fringe. Cho, Etta and Iva had joined in their conversation, nodding.

"Perhaps he was trying to forewarn an event about to happen this year at Hogwarts?" Padma had arrived at the table, as she had woken up slightly later than everybody else had.

"Everybody is against me, then?" Susa asked, sighing in mock frustration.

Everyone greeted Padma, as Hermione began to explain that they hadn't wanted to wake her up as she was deep in slumber. Padma accepted this and the chatter resumed.

* * *

_A month into school..._

"'Me, you should try out for the Quidditch team too!" Eva exclaimed.

"What is it with you and my name? It's not that difficult to pronounce, anyway." Hermione asked, smiling slightly grimly.

"You know, they all rhyme. It enhances my creativity, you know." Eva replied, smiling brightly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Over my dead body."

"What's over your dead body?" Eva asked.

"Quidditch."

"NOOO! Mia! Please come with me to the tryouts!"

"Did you see me last year during flying lessons?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Eva nodded. "I did."

"So you must know how bad I am!"

"You weren't the worst in the class."

"Eve! That is so not helping!"

"I'm being serious!"

Hermione sighed. "Even if I did try out, I wouldn't even know what position to play."

"Chaser. You have the ability to do Quidditch. Didn't you say that you did gymnastics before coming to Hogwarts? Fitness, girl!"

Hermione nodded. "I did. But I don't practice now!"

"Once you know how to ride a bike, it's with you for the rest of your life. You've got the template! The practice merely polishes it up!"

Hermione sighed. "We need to practice, then."

Eva cheered loudly. "Thanks Mia! You won't regret this!"

Weeks passed by as students accumulated more and more homework that had to be completed every day. As usual, Hermione was being friendly to everybody (even the Slytherins, like Draco, Blaise and Theo) and going to the library, Susa was flirting with the boys from other houses of the same year (though there would not be any Hogsmeade visits until third year!), Padma was still gossiping with the girls from Slytherin and Gryffindor (separately, of course) and Eva had made the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as Chaser, along with Hermione. Somehow, she had improved since her disastrous Flying lessons in first year. Together, they made the second year Ravenclaw Quartet, the students that everyone envied and wanted to be, and the students who were basically just nice to everyone.

* * *

_A random day in the life of a second year student at Hogwarts at the weekend..._

Hermione was making her way to the library, when all of a sudden – _"OOF!"_

Two voices that created a melody and a harmony blended together as the two people were too engrossed in their thoughts to notice who was in front of them. They collided together, as the stack of books that Hermione was carrying toppled all over the stone floor, cushioning her fall as she bumped into the person.

In embarrassed voices they apologised to each other. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

Hermione glanced up at the person, and she noticed that he had the loveliest gray eyes. They were mesmerising. She shook herself from her thoughts as she began to laugh awkwardly with him, still apologising for her collision with him. Together, they took her books and stacked them up. Hermione took some in her arms and the boy offered to take some to the library for her. She apologised to him once again and so did he.

"Let's start over again, shall we?" The boy smiled at her. She nodded.

"I'm Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff." He held a hand out for her to shake, which she did.

"Hermione Granger, Ravenclaw." She smiled at him.

He offered a hand to help her up. Hermione gladly accepted and they went to the library.

* * *

_A few days later…_

"My, my. Aren't we meeting at the most strangest of moments?" A masculine voice came from behind.

Hermione jumped and glanced up so quickly that her hair flicked into her eyes. She flinched but relaxed when she realised it was Cedric, the person who had been annoying her so much in the past few days.

"Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't. I thought you were aware of me standing here. And besides – who knew that the oh-so-intelligent Hermione Granger was vain?" He asked in amusement.

"I'm not vain!" Hermione retorted, slightly insulted.

"Then why are you looking at yourself in the mirror in the _library_?" He asked, with a sly gleam in his eyes.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wasn't."

"Then why is there a pocket mirror on the floor?"

Hermione was a bit annoyed with the lack of Ravenclaw intelligence that was _supposed _to be in her personality, for she did not have a comeback.

"Ah. No comeback then, 'Mione?"

"Don't call me that." Hermione muttered, slightly annoyed at the fact that she had lost the battle this time around.

"You know that you've lost." Cedric smirked.

Hermione sighed. "So stop rubbing it in my face!"

"Okay, okay!" He held his hands up, his eyes still twinkling with mirth. She groaned in annoyance.

"Change of topic then." He said, after composing himself.

"What do you suggest?" Hermione asked, questioning in her eyes.

"Dumbledore's warning at the beginning of the year."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You noticed that too?"

A pair of eyes was dancing merrily with mirth as the mysterious person looked on at the scene in curiosity and extreme amusement.

* * *

Blaise flopped down on the seat, sighing. "School sucks."

"I didn't know you were the type to say that, Blaisey!" Theo exclaimed sarcastically.

"Dude, don't call me that!" Blaise replied wearily.

Theo smirked, knowing that he had gotten the reaction he had wanted from his best friend. Blaise knew this too but did not show this.

"School doesn't suck." Theo muttered.

Suddenly, a flash of white blonde hair burst into the Slytherin common room and flopped down onto the sofa next to Blaise, sighing.

"School sucks."

Theo looked up and saw that it was Draco and glanced to Blaise, who was wearing an _I told you so_ expression on his face.

"School does not suck!" Theo emphasised, muttering to himself in annoyance about how Slytherin second years did not appreciate education.

* * *

"Where have you been lately, 'Me?" Eva asked, knowingly.

"We haven't been seeing you much lately." Padma commented.

Hermione glanced up with a slightly bored expression on her face. "Yes you have."

"Where have you been, 'Ne?" Susa asked curiously.

"The library."

"With whom...?" Eva trailed off, deliberately insinuating many things.

"My books."

"Whom, not what, Mia. We know what is in the library, thank you." Padma said sarcastically.

Hermione coloured slightly, wondering where her Ravenclaw intelligence was in these awkward and embarrassing situations, where she was stuck speechless, not knowing what to say at all.

"I know who's been with you." Eva said in an all-knowing voice. Hermione gave her a warning look.

"Who?" Padma and Susa asked simultaneously.

Eva glanced at her best friend that was sitting on the other side of the table and her other two best friends to her side, as if contemplating whether to reveal the 'gossipy' news or not.

"Come on Eva! You've piqued my curiosity!" Padma exclaimed, excited.

Eva gave an apologetic look to her best friend that was sitting opposite her, as her eyes gleamed sneakily. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Cedric Diggory."

Two gasps echoed off the Ravenclaw common room walls.

* * *

It was that time of year again. Christmas was nearing Hogwarts and the festive season had begun. Tinsel that changed colour every few seconds had already adorned the walls of the Hogwarts corridors. Singing mistletoe from Zonko's Joke Shop had also popped up around school and would not allow students to walk away from each other when they were within a metre's distance of each other. Many students were subject to embarrassment as they had to kiss each other to be able to walk away from each other. It was all very funny.

* * *

A crowd gasped and stood around something or someone that he just couldn't seem to see. Voices were buzzing like bees, irritating him as he could not decipher what was being said. He glanced left and right, where his friends were. They were curious as well. Together, Draco, Blaise and Theo hurried towards the scene, wondering what was there that had piqued the interest of many other students.

There, was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, who seemed… _dead_. But how? Then as if by instinct, Draco glanced up and shimmering in blood red letters…

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

* * *

**Ooh, does our dear H has a crush on a certain Hufflepuff? Too bad it's not Valentine's Day yet. Where has D been recently? He hasn't been seen on our radar lately. Perhaps he's embroiled in some trouble… could he be the heir? Only time will tell what will happen next.**

**Toodles for now!**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	10. Petrified

**_Chapter Nine: Petrified_**

Many people had signed up to stay at school over the Christmas holidays. Many teachers were bewildered with this, due to the recent incidents regarding the Chamber of Secrets, but they had plastered on blank expressions anyway. The Hogwarts atmosphere was becoming more guarded and tense due to the attacks and the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Dumbledore sighed. Many muggleborns had been petrified by the _thing_ that still lived on in the Chamber of Secrets.

_If students were being petrified…_ then yes, it did confirm his doubts and suspicions. _There was definitely a basilisk in the Chamber. It was dangerous to look it straight in the eye, but the students must have somehow been able to look it in the eye through something else._

_But he's dead… just how could he be alive again? Resurrection? No, not yet. His followers are still too scared to burst out into the open. He must be channeling this through someone… a student at Hogwarts… the Imperius Curse? No, probably not. He isn't alive to do it…_

After many more thoughts… _It must be a Horcrux. A trapped memory of some sort._

The Headmaster sighed. _A sign of Riddle's intelligence, definitely. He must have implemented this into action before he was defeated by Harry all those years ago. _

* * *

"You know 'Mione, for a Hufflepuff, I'm not that dense."

"I did not say anything of the sort, Cedric. You said it yourself. You just fell into my trap." Hermione said primly, still thinking of what the Headmaster had been saying.

Cedric's eyes widened. Hermione noticed this.

"Not in _that _way!" She said hastily, still lost in her thoughts. Cedric heaved a sigh of relief.

_Remember, watch each step you take towards the big picture._

Hermione's mind swirled with thoughts. _What big picture? Did he mean the steps we take at school? To achieve our full academic potentials? What did the Headmaster want us to know about?_

There were so many questions unanswered.

_It can affect all the colours and the shapes of it._

_Did he mean the steps in life? Or is it just a mere riddle? _Her mind would not stop thinking about the two sentences that didn't matter that much to her at the start of term feast.

What struck her and gave her a wake-up call was her next thought.

_Or did the Professor already know that Hogwarts was going to be attacked this year?_

* * *

_A few days later…_

Hermione stared into space, lost in thought. The past few days had been awkward between her and Susa. It seemed like that Susa was… cold towards her. Perhaps she was jealous of Hermione? But jealous of what? Surely, it wasn't because of her blooming friendship with Cedric, was it? Heck, they didn't like each other in _that _way!

If it was, she knew that she would break off her and Cedric's friendship in favour of her friendship with Susa. They were best friends, after all. They couldn't be fighting over a boy that was older than them.

"Mia… you are so lucky!" Padma gushed. "I am so envious of you!"

"Envious… for what?" Hermione asked, clearly confused.

"You… and Cedric!" Eva gushed, sighing.

Hermione coloured, evidently embarrassed. "What?!"

"Your relationship… is just _so _romantic!"

"Susa's jealous that you've snagged a cute guy!"

Hermione sighed, glancing towards Susa apologetically, her eyes trying to tell her the real story. "Evie… Paddy… look. We're not together. We're just friends."

"Didn't look like it when I saw him staring at you the other day." Eva smirked.

"And you obviously have a crush on him too!" Padma squealed.

Hermione's eyes widened. "No I don't!"

"Ah… the adamant denial…" Padma trailed off, her eyebrows wriggling suggestively.

"AAIIIEEEEEE!!" Padma and Eva squealed together. Susa rolled her eyes.

"It's not true. Stop stirring up rumours that aren't true!" Hermione squeaked, clearly becoming more and more annoyed with her best friends.

Padma and Eva muttered their apologies to her, saying that they did not mean to insult her / hurt her in any way. Hermione accepted and proceeded to read her book that she had been planning to read for so long, for she had been putting it off for a period of time.

A few moments later, Padma sighed. "Mia, you've got to admit that Cedric is pretty cute, right?"

Hermione groaned as Eva burst into a hearty laugh.

* * *

After a few attacks on the muggleborns, such as the first year Gryffindor Colin Creevey, who was absolutely obsessed with taking photos, Hogwarts was becoming tenser by the hour. Everybody constantly had somebody by their side and was not allowed to venture out in the dark after hours.

Meanwhile, Hermione was trying to decipher the riddle of the Chamber of Secrets. Of course, everybody else was as well during school hours, but she hid concealed her book over a proper school textbook, to make it seem like she was concentrating on her studies when she was actually reading up on something irrelevant to school. She did do her homework, and at leisure time, she would read up and take notes on the strange mystery of the Chamber of Secrets.

_Why weren't there any books on the Chamber? Did Dumbledore ban them deliberately, years ago? _She wondered.

Recently, on the way to the library, she had noticed many spiders entering into Hogwarts. It was strange because Hogwarts did not seem to be a good habitat for them to survive in. She read through more books, when suddenly, voices buzzed from the other side of the book shelf. Hermione craned in to listen.

"… Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin. I know it."

"Are you sure…?" Another voice asked doubtfully.

A third voice chimed in. "I agree. Malfoy's got something to do with this. He would not still be parading around the school if he didn't have something going on."

Hermione knew these voices, for they sounded rather familiar… were they from her year?

She paused in her thoughts, her mind whirring with information and things she needed to sort out and solve.

Hermione had completely tuned out the voices until she inadvertently heard, "So you plan to break into the Slytherin common room?"

"Guys. Think of your school records!"

"Of course! I just need to find a way…" The voice trailed off and it was here when Hermione realised that the voices belonged to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom.

"I know what you can do." A voice suddenly burst out quietly.

Three heads glanced so quickly into the direction of the voice that their necks hurt.

"What do you have?" Harry asked.

Hermione was looking for the voice, until she realised that it was her own voice that had burst out. She beckoned the three boys over and whispered,

"The Polyjuice Potion."

"We haven't learned that yet, Hermione." Neville said kindly.

"I know. But it's still possible to brew. Last time I checked on the time it took was that it takes a month to make."

"A month?!" Ron whispered, shocked.

"Look, the Polyjuice Potion allows one to become another for approximately an hour. For that hour, you can interrogate Malfoy as one of the Slytherins and get the information you want! It is what you were trying to come up with, right?"

Three heads nodded as they looked at each other, as if trying to have a silent conversation as to whether or not they should allow Hermione in their group.

"We're in."

* * *

_The quartet had become much closer, as a result of just wanting to find out who the Heir of Slytherin was. This is a month later since Harry, Ron and Neville had decided to allow Hermione into their Trio. The potion was ready. It was just so convenient that they had a week's holiday to rest from the stress of school, homework and revision. Hermione had read more and more, but her notes still did not help her at all._

"You know… I don't know if this is a good idea," Hermione murmured, having second thoughts about what they were to do. _After all, it was quite likely that it was illegal!_

"Let's go over the plan again." Harry said, wanting to pass time quickly. The four students huddled together.

"Let's hope that Malfoy really is the Heir," Ron muttered.

"So that everyone will get off Harry's back," finished Neville. Hermione looked at them incredulously, wondering how they did that.

"Right. So I will be Nott. Ron will be Goyle. Nev will be Crabbe… we won't use Zabini or else Malfoy might suspect. 'Mione… you'll have to choose to be either Parkinson or Bulstrode, I'm afraid."

Hermione gave an involuntary shiver. _Millicent Bulstrode _was not her cup of tea. _Pansy _it was then. She felt a little bad for Pansy, as they were on slightly better terms as compared to last year. They were civil to each other, and were on the borderline of _nice _when they were paired up in Charms or in Potions. Maybe something had happened over the summer… perhaps Pansy had a sudden personality change? She didn't know at all.

"So we know what to do then?" Neville asked, breaking the silence and Hermione out of her reverie. Everyone nodded.

"We'll meet at Myrtle's in an hour."

* * *

Hermione rushed to the library to retrieve the books and her notes on the Chamber she had left when she saw a lone figure sitting at her usual table. She went over to berate the figure sitting there, until she noticed that it was Cedric.

Cedric... the person she had forgotten about for a long, long time...

"Hello Hermione. I haven't seen you for a very long time. Have you been avoiding me?"

_Well, that was rather blunt._

"No, I haven't. I've just been rather busy with... stuff." She hesitated. Cedric gazed at her, seemingly unconvinced.

Hermione closed her eyes to vent the growing frustration inside. "I'm not lying!"

Cedric looked a bit affronted and apologised. "I'm sorry. I was just curious. I missed my new friend a little, you know?"

Hermione did not expect this and a surprised expression spread across her face. Her eyes widened even more when she glanced down at her watch.

The hour was up. She had to leave. She gathered up her books and ran out of the library, leaving a bewildered Cedric Diggory behind.

* * *

_At the Slytherin Common Room..._

"Blaise... have you seen Crabbe and Goyle today?" Draco asked, as it seemed quite quiet in the Slytherin common room that day. Nobody seemed to be around and the common room was left desolate, with only Blaise and Draco occupying it. It just didn't seem right at all.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't. I haven't seen Theo either today. Where do you think they've gone?"

"Theo's probably in the library," Draco muttered.

"And Crabbe and Goyle are probably eating slugs because they can't find anything else to satisfy their stomachs." Blaise chuckled.

Draco grinned. "Pansy's been rather quiet today too. Where do you think _she_ is?"

"Hanging out with Crabbe and Goyle, perhaps?"

They both chuckled heartily.

* * *

_At Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom…_

"We've got the hairs." Hermione checked off her list as she 'sprinkled' some of the four Slytherins students' hair into the four goblets as Harry, Ron and Neville took their own goblets. Hers turned a bright blood-like colour, Harry's turned a sickening green vomit-like colour, Ron's turned a burnt golden brown colour and Neville's the colour of pus.

Ron chuckled sarcastically. "Who knew that Goyle's hair could be so tempting?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Perhaps Pansy is a blood thirsty witch."

Neville protested, obviously trying to emulate the other two. "Crabbe must eat his own pus quite often for it to be in his hair."

Everyone 'ewwed' at this comment, as Harry rolled his eyes at their immaturity. Heck, he was even more mature than _Hermione_ in this situation!

"OK. So we'll go into the cubicles to drink and change into the Slytherin uniforms." Harry said.

Everyone nodded and entered to their assigned cubicle.

* * *

Harry emerged from his cubicle at Myrtle's, feeling like a new (but evil) person. He stared at himself in the mirror. His impersonation was so different to that of his normal self. In the mirror, he always saw himself as being very scrawny (as a result of malnourishment at the Dursleys), whereas with Nott… well, Nott just seemed more well-fed and nourished. And he was more arrogant too.

A minute ticked by and Harry knew that they were wasting time, even if it was only 60 seconds.

Hermione burst out, 'her' long glossy hair flying around, just like Pansy Parkinson's.

"Nev… Ron. We're waiting for you! We're wasting precious time!" Harry called quietly.

A queasy groan could be heard. "Harry… Hermione… Nev… you three better go out without me. I don't feel very well."

"We all don't feel very well at all and we're still going!" Hermione spluttered indignantly. _The nerve of him sometimes!_

"Harry… Hermione. Ron and I are depending on you two to find out if he really is the Heir. I can't go…" Neville's voice had risen up by two octaves. It would have been quite amusing if they weren't in a hurry and if they weren't so stressed.

"Not you too!" Hermione said, the words nearly coming out in frustration.

Harry sighed and beckoned Hermione to follow him out of the door.

"You guys will be alright?" Hermione asked, for her frustration had dissipated. Grunts were her only reply.

Harry and Hermione rushed out of the bathroom, wincing at the sound of Ron's vomiting. _He must have it bad, _the both of them thought together.

* * *

"I think I might go to find Theo and Pansy. I'm starting to miss them." Blaise said, bored.

"Why? My company isn't enough for you?" Draco chuckled.

"No, it isn't." Blaise smirked as he stepped out of the common room.

Draco mock-huffed and crossed his arms together when Blaise looked back to him.

* * *

"Eep. Harry!" Hermione muttered under her breath. Harry looked at her questioningly.

"There's one flaw in the current plan. We don't _know_ where the Slytherin common room _is_." She said plainly.

"Well, we'll just have to ask, won't we?" Harry said confidently, though deep inside, he was aware of how strange it would be if he and Hermione, as Theo and Pansy, had to ask for directions to their 'own common room'.

Hermione stared at Harry, horrified, as he went up to Cho Chang to ask for directions. _The worst person to ask directions from and she's also the worst gossip too, tied with Padma. _Hermione waved Pansy's arms frantically, but discreetly.

"Excuse me," he hurried towards her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

"_Our _common room?" Cho asked in disgust, eyeing Harry's Slytherin robes. "I'm in Ravenclaw, in case you didn't notice."

She strode away, glancing back towards him and Hermione every second. Hermione closed her eyes in frustration, trying to clear away the annoyed feelings quickly.

* * *

After an encounter with Penelope Clearwater, Ravenclaw prefect, the expressions on Harry and Hermione's faces were that of relief and guilt. As Penny was in Hermione's house and was one of Hermione's good friends, Hermione did not dare to say anything, for the sake of being discovered. She remembered glancing at Harry in desperation. Somehow, her meaning in facial expression managed to get through to him, as he had nodded in understanding. She left all the talking to him.

She sighed in desperation. _Just when and where were they going to find a Slytherin student to lead her and Harry into the Slytherin common room?_

"Oy! Theo! Pansy! I've been looking for you everywhere!" A voice called.

Harry and Hermione snuck a look behind them, and were overjoyed (but did not show this) to finally see a Slytherin student – Blaise Zabini.

They chanced a glance at each other – _just how were they supposed to act around Blaise?_

_Wing it._

Hermione smiled, but it came out like a grimace. "Theo went with me to the Hospital Wing."

_And? _The question radiated from Blaise's expression.

"I was feeling sick. Millie, Jenna and Letti were all still asleep and I found Theo in the common room and I forced him to come with me because I needed some company."

Hermione was glad that her acquaintances in Slytherin and some occasional eavesdropping on conversations made her well-aware of some happenings within Slytherin.

"So 'Theo' was the company? And it's Theo now?" Blaise asked slyly.

But not in this case.

Hermione's eyes widened, but Blaise did not seem to catch this. "We agreed to a truce. For now."

Harry was relieved for Hermione's quick thinking. He was aware of the fact that Blaise was extremely cunning and intelligent, and probably would not hesitate in extracting information from them.

Blaise beckoned them to follow him. To where, they didn't know. But for now, they were content to hope that they would eventually go to the Slytherin common room… within the next 45 minutes or so.

* * *

"What was the password again?" Blaise asked, as if talking to himself.

Hermione remembered one of the passwords she had overheard a Slytherin student say the week before. "Snake's lair?"

Harry almost snorted at Hermione's wild guess.

"No, Pans. That was last week's! Can't you get into your head that the passwords change every week?" Blaise asked, amused.

Harry's eyes widened a slight millimetre. If one was looking very closely, they would be able to see his twitching eyes sparkle with amusement. Hermione smiled sheepishly.

"Ah yes. Pure blood!" Blaise stepped into the common room and saying to what seemed like no one, "I've found them."

"Hey guys." Draco greeted, almost cheerful. It was unusual to see the ice cold Slytherin prince to be so… friendly.

"Just where have you both been?" Blaise asked.

_Oh no. Here comes the interrogation which both our stories have to match. We'll just have to wing it. _Hermione thought.

"You two don't normally spend that much time together in the same room." Draco commented, his eyes darting from Harry to Hermione.

"We wanted to go to the Hospital Wing," Harry started.

"To…" Hermione trailed off, just as she was being interrupted by Draco.

"Give the mudbloods a special kick from all of us?" He asked eagerly.

"Draco, we're at school. How on earth are we supposed to do that – we'd get caught!" The words spewed out of Harry's mouth like a dripping cauldron. He couldn't stop himself from saying it… it was as if he was controlled to say it.

Hermione inwardly gasped. Harry wouldn't normally say that. She directed the topic to something _similar_, but not entirely the same.

"So… any news on the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin?"

Blaise shook his head, while Draco nodded. "Ooh. Lots. Especially about Potter."

Harry instinctively stiffened.

"What's wrong, Theo?" Blaise had noticed this.

"Sudden stomach ache," Harry groaned, placing a hand on his stomach, as his acting increased to the standard of the muggle Hollywood royalty.

Draco continued. "Well, anyway. All those despicable Hufflepuffs have been spreading around rumours that Potter has some creature in this supposed Chamber. Apparently, Potter's been trapping them in there and that creature has bitten them like how a vampire does and then dumping them in the corridors."

Hermione looked surprised as Harry clamped down a gasp. _Supposed _Chamber?? _Perhaps he's just hiding what he has really done. _They snuck a glance at each other and Harry's shoulders had clearly sagged.

"Draco… I'm sure you have some idea of who's been behind all of the attacks."

He sighed exasperatedly. "I wish I did. Father won't tell me anything about what happened fifty years ago. Apparently, I'd look too suspicious if I knew too much. But what I'm 110% sure about is that last time it was opened, a Mudblood died. This time, if that happens, I hope that it's Granger." He grinned sneakily.

Harry's eyes had narrowed slightly and Hermione seemed a little pale. They had come to two realisations: the fact that Malfoy was _not_ the Heir of Slytherin; and that Malfoy wanted Hermione dead anyway.

_Pathetic pureblood he was, really._

"What's wrong with you two?" Blaise asked questioningly, his gaze suspicious.

"It's that time of month." Hermione answered quickly. Draco and Blaise looked a bit disgusted.

"We did not want to know." Draco said, his eyes looking a little queasy.

"Still have a stomach ache." Harry grunted.

Hermione squealed desperately. Outwardly, it seemed like some random act, and inwardly, she was desperate to give Harry a warning. Harry's 'Theo' eyes were becoming blue-green and his hair was slowly lengthening…

Harry had noticed Hermione's 'Pansy' hair becoming longer and curlier… her eyes were becoming lighter, reverting back to its warm shade of honey brown.

_Their hour was up. _

"Hospital Wing." Hermione said, as she got up and rushed out of the room.

"Me too." Harry managed to grunt.

The real Slytherin second years were left behind, surprised, by what had just happened.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Nev, are you alright?" Ron asked.

"I feel like I'm going to die." Neville responded in a high pitched voice.

Ron cringed. It was the type of voice that one would not want to hear for a very long time. Then, the sounds of panting voices filled the room.

"Whew! That was close!" Harry said, as his transformation was back to normality.

Hermione nodded, still panting and gasping for breath. The both of them rushed into their respective cubicles to change back into their uniforms.

Ron emerged from his cubicle, having spent the past hour throwing up worms, slugs and any kind of small insect in existence.

"That was the worst one hour I have ever been through." He commented.

Hermione smiled slightly in sympathy, but she glanced towards Neville's door. "How's Nev doing?"

"He won't come out. I mean, it was only an hour – surely, the Potion has worn off," Ron whispered.

"Ho ho ho!" An eerie voice flooded the bathroom.

It was Myrtle. "Ohh… it's not what you think it is!" She cackled.

"Neville, it's okay!" Hermione said comfortingly.

The door to Neville's cubicle was thrown open, as Neville's Gryffindor robes shielded what he did not want the others to see.

_The black robes dropped to the ground, slowly…_

Hermione gasped instinctively. "The Potion is not supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Neville's a… bear?" Ron asked, almost stupidly.

"Crabbe's got an illegal creature in his dormitory!" Neville squeaked.

"No, Ron. That's a koala."

"A what?"

"An animal from Australia, Ronald." Hermione said primly. She had a gleam in her eyes, indicating that she was in thought and was plotting something mischievous.

"What do we have to steal now?" Harry asked wearily, noticing this strange sparkle to her eyes. She plucked Neville from the floor and stroked him comfortingly.

"We'll have to get Neville to the Hospital Wing." Hermione sighed. "I wish we could find something, but it's too suspicious."

Ron nodded. Harry seemed lost in thought.

A silence had entered the bathroom as the humans were lost in thought, while the koala blinked, staring around at his surroundings.

Hermione broke this silence. "Why don't you two take Neville to the Hospital Wing while I clean up this mess?"

Harry nodded and proceeded to take Neville the koala from Hermione's arms.

"You sure you'll be okay on your own, 'Mione?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded positively.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Neville whined. "Hold me properly, Harry! This is awkward…"

"Nev, please. Stop whining. We need to get you to the Hospital Wing as soon as possible." Harry said in his voice, which was full of authority and command.

"Don't worry, Nev." Ron muttered.

Neville narrowed his koala eyes as he stared grumpily into space.

* * *

After she had finished cleaning all the mess that they had made in the past month through the creation of the Polyjuice Potion, Hermione took out her crumpled notes from her pocket.

_Just what is destroying the muggleborns at school? Surely, I'm near to the answer, aren't I? _She wondered to herself.

After what seemed like an eternity in her thoughts, Hermione knew she had gotten the answer. _A basilisk. _Quickly scribbling down a few words which would explain what was her theory; she excitedly jumped up and vanished the washed equipment with her wand, which would transport the things back to her dormitory.

She gave a quick glance to the mirror at her disheveled appearance. She giggled to herself, making a half-hearted attempt to look slightly more presentable. _I look like a fright. _

Suddenly, a shadow was edging closer and closer towards her. As if by instinct, Hermione looked into the mirror, and the shadow almost veiled the dipped lights of the bathroom. She gasped, looking into the eyes of the creature in the mirror.

Darkness clouded all aspects of her thought, as she collapsed to the cold stone floor.

**The Potion was a disaster. D isn't the Heir, so who is? And H – what has happened to her? Has she really solved the riddle that is the Chamber of Secrets? And who wants her eradicated from this situation? After all, we do know that H is intelligent.**

**Someone is out there, going after our favourite students. Indeed, Hogwarts is in danger.**

**You know you love me,**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	11. Damsels In Distress

_**Chapter Ten: Damsels In Distress**_

Students had begun to return back from their Christmas holidays. School was to start on the next day and everybody caught up with each other and spoke about their holidays. What was known as the Chamber of Secrets was completely forgotten, even if it was only for the moment. Students only wanted to 'enjoy' themselves for the time being, before plunging themselves into school, which consisted of homework and revision.

* * *

_Ring-ring! Ring-ring! _Professor Dumbledore had been staring into space, after a long day of work.

_What's happening now? _With the school's interest at heart, he hastily recorded a message in his Patronus and sent it to all Professors. The Headmaster rushed out of the room.

* * *

_For those who had stayed at school..._

Eva thundered. "WHERE IS MIA?"

"She should have been back by now," Padma muttered. Susa glanced up, her 'feud' with Mia completely forgotten as worry clouded her eyes.

"What does this all mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked, slightly out of breath as she rushed to the scene where the student lay.

Madam Pomfrey examined the student and announced quietly, "Definitely Petrified, not dead."

"The Chamber of Secrets is indeed open." Professor Dumbledore replied solemnly.

Professor McGonagall gasped in horror. The Hogwarts nurse prepared to levitate the student, when a petrifying scream echoed off the walls.

"Quickly! I think I know where she might be." Padma said, beckoning her two best friends to follow. Hearing some voices, the girls quieted their fast and furious footsteps to listen.

They caught Madam Pomfrey saying, "Definitely Petrified, but not dead."

The Ravenclaws stared at each other in horror, as they had found out more terror had been unleashed on their beloved school. _Just who was it? _Susa and Padma insisted that one of them had to peek at who it was and pushed Eva to do it. Eva was hesitant, but as the bravest out of the three, she courageously took a peek.

What she saw was not what she expected. Her voice had been caught in her throat... no sound could come out. She attempted to stifle a scream. Tears cascaded down her cheeks uncontrollably and the scream was one that Susa and Padma knew that they did not want to hear ever again.

Professor Dumbledore turned around. "I'm sorry you had to see this. It's unfortunate that such things happen, but they do."

Padma and Susa were quietly crying as Eva did spoke to the Headmaster. The seriousness of the situation was enforced, when the Headmaster could only say,

"Miss Granger has been Petrified."

* * *

Rumours circulated around school like wildfire. The Chamber had 'captured' its latest victim: Ravenclaw Hermione Granger.

In other words, Hermione Granger had been Petrified.

Teachers were solemn in the loss of the brightest student in their classes; students were sympathetic and worried even more about themselves being attacked.

* * *

**It seems like the big news hasn't reached this part of the school yet.**

The Hufflepuffs were all laughing heartily at somebody's lame joke as someone charged through the door, panting and worried. It was Tara, fourth year Hufflepuff.

"Sorry to burst your bubbles, people. But somebody's been Petrified again."

All eyes immediately flickered towards the fourth year student.

"Who?" Somebody managed to ask after a long moment's of tense silence. Tara glanced sadly at Cedric, who looked so happy she did not want to burst his happy bubble. Their eyes locked, as Cedric's eyes widened in understanding and worry.

"It's Hermione."

* * *

It didn't seem like the wildfire news had reached the second year Slytherins either, for Blaise was still speaking quite light heartedly. He had a strange gleam to his eyes, which meant that he either had something mischievous up his sleeves, or he was just having fun 'torturing' someone with his words that he always twisted around to his advantage. This time, the victim of his twists with words was Pansy, who was one of his best female friends. He was interrogating her about the time when Harry and Hermione had pretended to be her and Theo Nott.

_Not that he knew this, anyway._

"Don't you remember, at all? That day, you had a bit of curly hair, Pans." Blaise used words to gently probe through Pansy's armour of protection that shielded her from embarrassment or humiliation.

"Oh… really?" Pansy asked, not remembering anything and concealing her lack of knowledge. "Perhaps it was just the lighting and ambience we were in before."

Blaise raised an eyebrow in disbelief which Pansy noticed, but didn't comment on it. Theo burst into the room.

"Granger's been Petrified."

Three pairs of eyes glanced up so quickly that nobody would have noticed the tension entering the room.

* * *

Eva, Padma and Susa spent at least an hour each at the Hospital Wing every day. They desperately missed their best friend's presence.

To comfort the three girls, Madam Pomfrey quipped, in a reassuring voice. "The making of the cure has gone underway. Miss Granger will be conscious again soon."

_Hopefully. _The thought was added as an after-thought in the nurse's mind. After all, one didn't know where the remedy could go wrong.

* * *

Narcissa smiled with distinct happiness when she saw Draco's owl lightly tapping on the window. Oh, how she missed her son.

_Draco's letter! _She thought to herself excitedly. _I wonder what has happened at school recently._ She skimmed over the coveted letter from her son, whose Owls had lessened since first year. Her eyes became wider and wider as her expression contorted into one of pure horror, fury and anger. Only one thing came to mind.

"_LUCIUS_!"

* * *

It was the first time Harry, Neville and Ron visited Hermione since the attack.

"What are you doing here?" Susa asked in disgust.

"We're visiting 'Mione, if that's what you mean." Harry said smartly, glowering slightly at Susa.

It was a fact that Harry and Susa had a... 'grudge' against each other. Nobody knew what had happened between them before Hogwarts; it just _was _a plain fact that they disliked each other immensely. After a heated glare conversation that conspired in silence, they nodded. A _truce, _was agreed upon... for now. It was just for Hermione, their dear friend that served as a link between them.

A silence came between the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws. Eva held Hermione's hand while Padma brushed her hair. It was becoming a daily routine.

It was this day when Eva felt something slightly sharp poke her. She gently pried open Hermione's hand, to find Hermione tightly clutching the crumpled sheet of paper. Evidently, nobody had noticed this as they were all dozing off, still clad in their school uniforms. She unfolded the parchment, smoothing out the creases. On the parchment, was Hermione's usually neat writing scrawled quickly. Eva could just about decipher the words _Pipes_, which had an arrow leading to _Myrtle's Bathroom_ and then an arrow leading to _Creature: Basilisk_. At the bottom of the parchment in small script, was _somebody is controlling the basilisk._

Eva gasped. Hermione had almost solved the riddle that was the Chamber of Secrets! She also noticed a post script, which said that one needed to be a Parselmouth to enter.

After a few moments, she emerged from her thoughts. Using Hermione's leads and theories, Eva knew that the situation at Hogwarts would soon dissipate away once the Boy-Who-Lived came along. After all, he was a Parselmouth. This particular _skill _would help them immensely.

* * *

Lucius was working in his study when he heard a bloodcurdling screech for his presence.

_What does the woman want now? _He wondered idly, as he slowly made his way to his wife's parlour. _Not more money, I hope. _He felt embarrassed as stingy thoughts of money came to mind. When he entered the room, it was not a scene he expected to see. His wife was sobbing her eyes out as she completely _soaked _her handkerchief until there was not a spot where she could dry her flooding eyes.

"Narcissa? What's wrong?"

"Draco's letter... apparently, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Again." Narcissa's tears had stopped, but it was clear that she had been crying for a long time, for her eyes were puffy.

Lucius blinked. _Why was the woman crying when nothing was going to happen to her son?_

Narcissa growled in frustration, which was so unlike the normal expectation of how a woman should act in the presence of others. "_Mia_ has been Petrified!"

Lucius's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"You heard me, Lucius. And you said she'd be safe!" Narcissa answered snippily.

"But... the Glamour Charm... the basilisk should have been able to detect that Mia is a pureblood." He said worriedly.

"Obviously, your Glamour Charm was too strong, Lucius. Obviously, the basilisk thought she was a muggleborn. And obviously, she's now Petrified and who knows when cure will come along!" Narcissa gave Lucius an intense glare, so intense, that he flinched outwardly.

"And your son..." She added, the glare further intensifying into that of pure fury. "Has been so heavily influenced by your _ridiculous_ teachings regarding blood superiority."

"So...?" Lucius trailed off.

"What do you mean by _so_? _Your_ son has referred to _our _daughter as that disgusting _m _word!" She shrieked. Lucius tried to pat her back, still not understanding what his wife meant.

"LUCIUS! How can you be so dense?"

His expression was still blank. Narcissa heaved a breath and Lucius instinctively knew what she meant. He knew was to assume the worst.

"He's referring to her as... _a mudblood_." Narcissa whispered, not before breaking into tears and wailing once more. "And she _isn't_ one!"

* * *

Ginny stared into space, her lips quivering from shock. Recently on some nights, she found herself _covered _and _smeared _with chicken feathers all over. She recalled her hands shimmering with bright red blood...

_What have I been doing? _She could never remember anything she did... she remembered finding the diary, buried deep inside her trunk. She found her only friend that was always there for her. Tom. She sighed. _If only he was real..._

It was just before Christmas when she found the diary. Just after she had that huge fight with Luna and Lena. Although they (she, Luna and Lena) were good friends now, she relied on Tom heavily to help her cope at school. He was so... comforting, he always knew the right thing to say when she was down. He was _the _best friend a girl could ever have.

She suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor._ Have I been the one Petrifying and endangering Hogwarts? _Deductive reasoning made her realise what had been happening at Hogwarts for the past 3 months. _I have! _Guilty, Ginny rushed back to the common room and knew what she had to do. Somehow, she had to dispose of the diary, out of harm's reach.

_But where?_

* * *

A few months passed by, as the Ravenclaw Trio (one member less from their usual Quartet), the Gryffindor Trio and the Hufflepuff worked together to save the school using Hermione's leads. Indeed, relationships (friendships) had improved due to their 'united front', to stand together and save Hermione, the rest of the Petrified victims and Hogwarts.

"I'm tired of all this reading and looking up information." Susa said bluntly, after 4 hours of research about basilisks and spiders.

"The spiders are creeping me out..." Ron shuddered from seeing all the graphic images of the spiders, his worst fear.

"Don't be so immature, Ronald." Neville muttered.

"We have to save Hermione." Harry finished. Ron rolled his eyes in exasperation.

* * *

Ginny felt a rather groggy feeling overcome her. She did not know and was not remotely aware of what was happening, for a 'spirit' had materialised from nowhere. She felt strangely comforted by the presence, until she realised who it was.

"Tom Riddle," she whispered almost inaudibly, her eyes slowly fluttering shut. "You betrayed me."

* * *

It was Padma and Neville's turn to take the night shift in 'accompanying' Hermione in case she awoke. Of course, she would not, unless she administered the cure. They all clung on to hope, hoping and wishing day-by-day that she would awake soon, even without the cure. Despite the fact that it was after hours, Madam Pomfrey sympathised with the young second years (and fourth year) and allowed them to stay overnight...

Eva, being the most organised person after Hermione, had set up a schedule for all of the shifts during the day.

The two of them had inadvertently dozed off from all of the stress from homework, revision and Hermione's situation; therefore they could not really 'accompany' Hermione in her deep sleep. This effectively allowed the shadow that had appeared from nowhere to levitate the Petrified Hermione out of the hospital wing.

**Oh my, were Neville and Padma in for some serious trouble tomorrow. They were only slightly lucky in the fact that it was Saturday. Trouble would not come until the latter part of the morning.**

* * *

Almost as if she had been Imperio'd, in a zombie-like state, she wrote the letters in capitals carefully onto the pristine white walls.

"You can't make me do this!" She screamed in her mind. "You can't. You _can't_!"

"Oh yes I can. And I am." Tom replied smugly, also inside her mind. "I'm making you do _everything _I want to complete."

"This has been going on for hours. I am sick of this." Tom said, frustrated after a few moments. Ginny did not reply as she obediently, but resisting a little bit, wrote on the walls with her index finger, which was covered in shimmering red blood.

"Aww... you poor, poor girl. Only because I feel a tiny bit of ... humane feelings at the moment, I shall allow you to write a 'goodbye letter'. To Harry Potter, perhaps?" Tom asked in a cruel tone as he cackled loudly.

Ginny's hands shook as she continued to scrawl on the wall - in a shimmering bright red colour - and leaving distinctly brown feathers trailing after her block letters.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Harry had woken up early to reread everything in his research, as well as that of Hermione's. His brows furrowed in concentration as he attempted to make a link between everything so that he would understand what was going on in the chaotic situation that was the Chamber of Secrets.

Moments passed by as he became wearier, extremely unsure of the facts in front of him. Then, his eyes widened, more and more, until only three words flashed in his mind. _I've got it._

Padma rubbed her eyes to greet the early morning sunshine. She turned over on her seat and glanced over, to check on Hermione and Neville. Neville was still there. Her eyes widened when she saw that Hermione wasn't in her bed. Extremely worried, she shook Neville awake. "_Neville_! _Neville_! _Hermione's not in her bed_!"

Neville flinched from her touch as his eyes groggily fluttered open. "Wha-?"

"Hermione's not in her bed!" Padma was becoming more desperate. "She's _not here_!"

"_What?_" His voice was more coherent now.

* * *

_A Silencing Charm was cast._

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eva asked, immediately rushing to the Gryffindor common room when she received Harry's message.

"Definitely. I'm a 110% sure of this plan." Harry replied, preparing his Invisibility Cloak and searching for his wand.

"And Ron?"

"I don't want to wake him."

"Why, Harry. I'm flattered!" Eva said in a mock-simpering voice.

"Don't be." Harry smirked. Eva rolled her eyes.

"It's sarcasm, Harry."

It was moments later when somebody spoke. It was Harry. "You have your wand with you?"

A nod from Eva.

"We're ready."

* * *

It was there in messy, blood red writing under the first message that the heir had made. This time, it was a longer message. _Her body shall lie in the Chamber forever. The other one will stay by the Heir's side, second in command._

Professor McGonagall sighed, glancing back at the wall. She knew that with time, the problem at hand would be fixed. But for now... the school had to suffer with a poor surveillance.

_Poor Ginny Weasley. __How Dumbledore would have solved this issue in a matter of days. Without him, we may have lost two students forever. _She thought gloomily.

"Minerva! Minerva!" A feminine voice called from afar. She shook herself from her reverie.

"Yes Poppy? What is the matter?" She asked worriedly.

"It's Hermione Granger. Her body isn't in the Hospital Wing."

"_What_?" Professor McGonagall knew they had to act, quickly.

The Headmaster was gone. It was all because of the School Governors and Lucius Malfoy that he had been kicked out of Hogwarts. One could say exiled, even. And the Headmaster was the best one that the school had ever seen for a very long time!

She sighed as two pairs of eyes were staring in shock at the scene in front of them.

* * *

"You have got to be joking." Susa said in an appalled voice.

"Who told you to doze off?" Ron asked, slightly frustrated.

Padma shook her head, a small tear escaping from her eyes. Neville took one of his hands out of his pockets and patted her awkwardly, perhaps just to make her feel better. It was a nice gesture, but it didn't really do very much to comfort her.

_Her body shall lie in the Chamber forever. The other one will stay by the Heir's side, second in command._

Harry and Eva were too shocked to speak.

Eventually, she could only say, "Quickly." And she awkwardly ushered Harry into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Susa asked impatiently.

"And where are Harry and Eva?" Neville piped up. Everyone glanced around, having completely forgotten them.

* * *

"Down the pipe then." Eva said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"You know, just like a slide!" Harry smiled slightly, just to reassure Eva. She hummed and suddenly jumped down.

They landed with a 'thump' on the ground.

* * *

They had just arrived at the Headmistress's office. Knocking on the door, the four of them heaved a breath, waiting for the impending lecture or punishment they would face.

"Come in." A voice came from inside. The distinct sound of four different footsteps echoed on the concrete floor.

"What is the matter?" The voice asked.

_"Harry and Eva are missing!"_

* * *

"So how do we get in? You know, we do need to hurry up a little, because the slower we get there, the more likely Weasley dies." Eva babbled, almost uncaringly. But it was evident that she was simply overreacting and not thinking all too coherently.

Harry shushed her. "I hear sounds," he whispered. Both of them craned near the wall to listen.

All Eva heard was hissing and Harry... as he was a Parselmouth, he heard everything. _She will be dead soon, and I will be alive once more. I will have a powerful witch to be my most faithful servant... I shall be the most feared and powerful in the world!_

"I'll go in." Harry said determinedly.

"What?" Eva hissed.

"I don't want anything to happen to you because of me."

"Why is this because of you? This hero-saving complex thing is becoming vaguely irritating." Eva said in a matter-of-fact tone. "In fact-"

"I think I know who this 'Heir' is." He cut her off.

After more arguing, Harry won by saying that they were losing time and they agreed to a compromise. If Eva saw/heard anything suspicious, she would jump in and help him. This was only in an emergency, though Eva knew that she would probably break the agreement, which she refrained from saying aloud.

"Good luck." She could only say.

* * *

Whispers filled the Great Hall that lunchtime.

"Harry Potter and Eva Carter are missing!"

"Really?"

"Apparently, Hermione Granger has been eaten up by the creature in the Chamber!"

_"What?"_

"That sounds like a whole load of bull."

"No! I heard that Granger _herself _is the Heir!"

"_NO WAY! _I got the impression that Granger was Petrified..."

"Yeah, and she's killed the Weasley girl..."

* * *

He gasped in horror. "What the..." He walked closer and closer towards the still corpse of Ginny Weasley. He instantly bent down to the ground.

"Ginny! Ginny! Please wake up!" He said frantically.

"She won't wake." A voice from behind said softly.

"Tom... Riddle?" Harry asked, almost to himself when he turned around and noticed who the voice belonged to.

"Harry Potter! I've been waiting for this very day we meet." A tall, handsome boy of around 16 announced arrogantly.

Eva's eyes widened from the shadows as she peeked through the small gap in between the wall. _This is not going to be good. _Wand at the ready, she continued staring until the bells of her mind rang for her to make her entry into the notorious and legendary Chamber.

_The idiot won't give his wand to him! _Eva thought frantically.

Riddle was now explaining to Harry what had been going on in the past few months, leading up to Ginny's current state = unconsciousness, nearing death. _Please, Harry. Don't lose your temper! _Eva noticed his hands were clenched into fists. As if he had heard her, he unclenched them slowly...

She had tuned out the whole conversation, only to catch the most important bit that would haunt her for years to come.

"Voldemort," the man paused. "Is my past, present and future, Harry Potter..." He took out Harry's wand and traced three words in the air.

**TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE**

Eva was dreading the worst. _No. It couldn't be._

A swish of Harry's wand. And it rearranged to the words which made the worst nightmare possible.

**I AM LORD VOLDEMORT**

Eva flinched. There, the orphan boy grew up to be the man who murdered Harry's parents and many other she emerged from her thoughts, she noticed Harry's face becoming paler, as Harry was explaining in an off-hand way, as to who was the best sorcerer in the world. Albus Dumbledore.

Suddenly, the song of a phoenix flooded through the Chamber. A phoenix flew through the entrance of the Chamber, clutching onto a worn-out hat. The Sorting Hat. More talking between Riddle and Harry continued.

_This is not how we planned. Harry, please stop bluffing. It will get you nowhere. Time is what you need. _She sighed quietly, aware of the fact that Harry was treading on thin ice.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not know whether to emerge to face the greatest evil alive or to cowardly stay behind the shadows of the walls. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Riddle say,

"Let me introduce you to someone you may know." Riddle said suddenly. A girl stepped out from the Slytherin gargoyle's mouth, smirking cruelly. Her hair was refined, as it had been done up in a French twist and she was wearing a beautiful medieval dark red gown, which billowed about in the light winds in the Chamber.

"Hello Harry." The girl smiled, the smile not quite reaching her blank and hollow eyes that seemed to be in a trance, which were narrowing.

Harry blinked, twice. He said, frantically. "Hermione. You have to fight yourself out of this trance. I don't know what Riddle's put you in, but you need to fight him!"

_She was the second in command? When and how did she become conscious? She hasn't taken the cure yet!_

"Oh, no. She won't fight me. It's you she will be fighting. Hermione... fight him, won't you darling?" Riddle stood with his arms crossed, gazing amusedly at them.

It seemed as though Riddle was bored at the fighting between Harry and Hermione. Hissing ensued... and the basilisk emerged.

Eva was appalled at Riddle, for making the basilisk fight for him. _Just how could he consider himself to be the 'greatest sorcerer in the world'?_

"Fight him, won't you darling?" Riddle's voice echoed the Chamber again, this time the order directed to both the basilisk and Hermione.

She knew Harry was outnumbered, but knew that now was not the time to go out to fight. Hermione was holding a basilisk fang against Harry! Heaving a breath, she knew that she had to keep her eyes on the fight and watch until it was her turn to go out. She cheered inwardly when she saw blood dripping from the basilisk's eyes – it was blinded by Fawkes! But the basilisk still continued lunging at Harry and wouldn't stop.

She knew it was still too early. But she couldn't leave Harry there, fighting on his own. _It was time to pounce. _Quickly memorising all the spells (or lack thereof, for Lockhart's lessons had been useless, even if he was handsome) that they had learned this year, she knew it was too basic, but it was better than nothing.

She cast the _Wingardium Leviosa _spell, which sent both Hermione and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named levitating up in the air, struggling to get back down onto the ground.

"I knew you had backup." Riddle taunted to Harry, who glared at Riddle first, then at Eva for emerging, when he had specifically told her to stay and wait. She cast an apologetic look at him.

Now, as there were two of them, the basilisk did not know where to turn. Intrigued by the 'new' smell, it turned towards Eva. _I do hope the extra reading will help me. _She thought to herself.

Distracted by the basilisk, she inadvertently released the spell holding Hermione and Riddle in the air. Hermione immediately stabbed Harry with the fang she was holding. Harry did not notice this and so he could not block it with Gryffindor's famed sword that he had extracted from the sorting hat. With his immune system weakening drastically, he handed it to Eva, who knew it was up to her to save Ginny and Hermione.

"The famous Harry Potter's life has come to an end." Riddle cackled. "What are you going to do now, Miss Carter? You know you can't hurt your best friend – remember, this is _her_. Whatever you do to her, will affect her."

He paused, drinking in the terrified girl's expression. "You don't know what to do, do you?" He chuckled evilly.

But then she realised something that Riddle didn't notice... "Fawkes!" she called. He glanced at her in surprise. Phoenix tears had healing powers. Now it was going to be even.

Hermione charged towards Eva, who was still distracted. With her quick reaction, she dodged out of the way and hence the sword-fang fight between the girls, a bloody and violent one that is too explicit to even describe in words.

Harry noticed that his vision of the Chamber was slowly focusing back to normal, unlike its fuzziness when he was slowly dying from the stab of the venomous fang. He thanked the phoenix profusely for preventing his death.

The sword-fang fight between Eva and Hermione had escalated to a climax. Hermione had the upper hand, but suddenly, the fang snapped in half.

One half of the fang flew up into the air... and Harry caught it. As if he already knew this by instinct, Harry stabbed the diary...

Riddle's screams echoed off the walls of the Chamber. The fighting between Eva and Hermione had ceased, for Hermione had collapsed into Eva's arms, twitching madly. The basilisk was dead too. A faint moan came from the unconscious Ginny Weasley.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and got up stiffly, glancing around the Chamber. "Where am I?" She wondered aloud. Eva noticed this and looked intently into Hermione's eyes. Noting the sparkle in her eyes, she smiled and hugged her best friend.

"I'm glad you're safe."

"You're covered in blood, Evie!" Hermione protested. Harry ran up to Hermione and hugged her.

"You're safe!" Harry said happily. Hermione smiled.

Together, the four of them went out of the Chamber, slowly making their way towards the Headmistress's office.

* * *

At the office, Hermione collapsed, still affected as a Petrified victim. She was taken straight away to the Hospital Wing to administer a large dose of Mandrake Draught.

Harry and Eva explained everything to the Headmistress, from start to end. The Headmistress told them that they had probably broken a hundred school rules in a matter of hours, but it didn't matter in this situation, as long as they (and everyone else) were safe.

* * *

_At the feast later that night..._

Hermione was the last victim that hadn't left the Hospital Wing yet, for she still had not regained consciousness.

The hall was slightly tense with the exclusion of the one-quarter of the Ravenclaw Quartet, but people still continued talking to mask this anomaly. Despite this, it was a feast that nobody had ever been to. Everybody was in much higher spirits than they had been just before Christmas. There was joy and merriment observed everywhere.

Suddenly - the entrance door burst open. Everyone stopped their activities and craned their necks to catch a glimpse as to who it was. Multiple gasps sounded and echoed each other at once when the figure stepped into the hall.

It was Hermione, still beautiful, even after the ordeal. She was still clad in her medieval dress (it was clean) and French twist (surprisingly, it was still intact after the sword-fang fight!) for she could not find her uniform. Smiles graced the face of everybody (even the Slytherins!) as Hermione walked in, albeit a little quickly, as she rushed over to the Ravenclaw table. Everyone knew she had been through a lot - a distressing period for her - and decided to mind their own businesses, though there were some people who still continued to gape at her.

Nosey swots, aren't they?

She ran up to the Ravenclaw and hugged all of her friends. Choruses of "I missed you!" overtook the sounds of other students' chatter. Harry, Ron, Neville and Cedric also went to the Ravenclaw table, to see how their friend was doing.

Overall, although it had been such an ordeal for her, Hermione felt happy. She revelled in the moment, enjoying and taking in the euphoria around her.

* * *

_Getting off the Hogwarts Express a few days later at King's Cross..._

Hermione smiled at her friends, the best in existence. "Indeed. It may have been the most adventurous and dangerous year yet."

* * *

**Hello there. Take out your shades and shield the sunshine! We'll all be relaxing in our bikinis and swim wear, wearing straw hats, sipping martinis and lapping up the sun as we anticipate what is to happen next year, won't we? I know I will be.**

**Well, it's a happily ever after this time around, sort of. Yes, it's been an interesting but dangerous year for our favourite Hogwarts students... our favourite Gryffindors and Ravenclaws combining what they have: their bravery, courageousness, wit and intelligence to save the day.**

**More from me next year,**

**Xoxo.**

**The Lady of Secrets**


	12. A Hopeless Hunt

**_Chapter Eleven: A Hopeless Hunt_**

She was already on the train, the earliest as usual. Hermione smiled to herself, excited. _It's that time of year again – September the First has come!_

Time soon passed by…and everybody had arrived. Conversations started at the point of what happened during summer… and then when they were all changed and had arrived at Hogwarts,

"Let's hope there aren't any heart attacks and scary moments this year, shall we?" Padma asked half heartedly.

Everyone nodded, understanding the seriousness of the question.

* * *

"You know, I've just realised." Padma commented one day during breakfast. Hermione looked questioningly at her.

"We can go to Hogsmeade!" Susa finished, arriving at the table and glancing at Eva knowingly. Hermione smiled slightly.

"What's wrong?" Eva immediately picked up her lack of reaction.

"No studying on the occasional Saturday anymore?" Susa asked dryly. She and Hermione had made a 'pact', to not allow boys between them ever again. Not that there ever was (just Susa wishing and envying Hermione's good fortune of handsome boys).

And Hermione rolled her eyes, amused and exasperated at the same time.

* * *

As the days passed by, it was a routine that she had to get used to after breakfast. And she did. She knew that she had to appreciate the opportunity given to her by her teachers. After all, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall had done so much to get it for her. Heaving a breath, she took out the chain that held it.

The only thing that offered her the one thing she most needed to expand her knowledge - the time turner. She turned the dial, just so that the time turner went back 2 hours.

_A window of time to study._

2 hours later, the same thing happened, but she was headed a different direction.

_Quidditch practice._

* * *

"Oi! Not like that!" Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain Roger Davies screamed to one of the Beaters.

The Beater stopped, staring at Davies wearily.

"Whack it hard! Are you a Beater, or not?" Davies shouted.

Eva rolled her eyes at Hermione and Cho Chang, who was Ravenclaw's Seeker.

"Don't you understand that our next match is against Slytherin? They'll throttle us if we don't practise!" He screeched madly. Indeed, he was a Quidditch fanatic, just like Gryffindor's Oliver Wood.

"He is just so frustrating! I can't think when he shouts like that!" Hermione whispered, flinching as he spoke.

"I guess it's just his drive to win... his determination for Ravenclaw to do well in the Quidditch standings within school." Cho said quietly.

"Oh, it's just so you to defend him, Cho!" Eva swooned as she glared at her in indignation. "You like him, don't you?"

Cho rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless.

"Ladies." Davies said hoarsely and politely. "Please practise and stop gossiping about whatever you're talking about."

"It's only for you, Cho!" Hermione gave Cho a knowing smile as she and Eva mounted their brooms and sped up, high in the sky.

* * *

_October._

"And it's the first match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin!" A joyful Lee Jordan shouted into the wiz-mic.

Everybody cheered, and all were aware of which team everybody but Slytherin was supporting... Ravenclaw.

Hermione was quietly chatting to Eva and Cho, eager to ease their nervousness.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch announced.

And they were off.

"Seeley's got the Quaffle... he passes it to Granger... ooh."

The crowd 'oohed' as Hermione was shoved against the wall by one of the Slytherin Chasers. But he continued his commentary. "Who passes it to Carter... SCORE! Ravenclaw lead 10 to ZERO!"

The crowd cheered wildly.

As the game became more and more intense, Hermione felt the adrenaline rush through her veins as she was up in the air. The wind blew against her skin as she sighed. She loved flying. But she didn't know if she could maintain this much violence in the game that was Quidditch.

_Suddenly -_

"GRANGER!" Davies shrieked. Eva chanced a glance at Hermione and noted with wide eyes, the size of a house elf's, that one of the Slytherin Beaters had aimed a Bludger at her.

"WATCH OUT!"

"Oof!" She muttered as a Bludger zoomed past her, almost chopping her head off. She honestly had not noticed that one coming. Keeping an eye for the Quaffle to be passed to her, she circled around the pitch, unsure of what to do.

"CONCENTRATE, GRANGER!" Davies screamed. Hermione was jolted out of her thoughts as she glared at him.

"Ooh... looks like Granger isn't very happy with Davies. A catfight to occur, perhaps?" Lee commented on the wiz-mic. The crowd chuckled slightly.

"It's still 150 to 20, Ravenclaw in the lead!" Lee continued, his biased commentary amusing most of the audience.

The game was still quite slow paced, as there was nothing going on but the pushing and shoving between the Chasers of both Houses.

"And look!" Lee suddenly said. Hermione quickly glanced to what he pointed to. "Slytherin Draco Malfoy has seen the snitch!"

Cho perked up from her circling around the pitch. She instantly found the snitch and zoomed towards it. Unfortunately, her broom was no match for Draco's Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"SCORE! 160-20 Ravenclaw!" Lee announced; his voice evidently full of excitement from the game.

Draco and Cho were racing towards the small golden snitch as floated there, as if waiting for them to grab it. Draco already had an arm inching closer, and closer to the snitch...

"AND DRACO MALFOY'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH! Slytherin win 170 – 160! What a close game!"

Suffice to say, Roger Davies looked dejected as he saw the Slytherins (the only students) to be celebrating their victory over Ravenclaw. He dragged his feet towards the changing room.

"That was so close!" Chaser Thomas Pollux said in a voice which made the other team members feel guilty of their loss.

"We can win next time," Eva said determinedly, though one cannot be sure if she only said that to reassure the rest of the team, or if she was really confident.

The rest of the team dejectedly followed their Captain's lead into the changing rooms.

* * *

_November._

Eva, Hermione and Padma smiled, almost forcefully. By now, they were all fed up by Susa's annoying ramblings about her date-to-be to Hogsmeade.

Eva suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Hermione and Padma were nodding meekly with weak smiles, inadvertently encouraging Susa to continue with her monologue.

"Anyway... did I tell you about how Evan asked me out yet?" She asked.

This time, Eva really did roll her eyes. Hermione tried to smile, but on her face, it appeared as a grimace. Padma couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes we have." She replied bluntly. "He was following you all around school, pestering you. You were finding him rather annoying, so you nearly screamed at him. He apologised to you and said that he was only trying to get your attention. You felt bad for him and you've agreed to go out with him this Saturday."

"Wow Paddy! You even memorised it word-for-word!" She squealed. Padma squeezed the bridge of her nose tightly.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation._ Honestly. This is becoming vaguely irritating._

"Change of subject," Eva said quickly. "Haven't you noticed Josh Knightley staring at Hermione _a lot _lately?"

Padma's eyes had considerably brightened after this as Hermione groaned – this always happened. After every time something bad happened, it always travelled towards the topics she disliked the most: her love life.

"Yes, I have! He was so _blatantly_ gazing at her with _stars _in his eyes! You would have thought Mia was a movie star!"

"He might ask you out to Hogsmeade, Mia!" Susa clapped excitedly.

Hermione laughed awkwardly as she cringed from embarrassment. "I think I might stay in the library or in here to study instead. Or maybe I'll just stick with Evie and Paddy when you're out with one of your dates."

"No, no, no! You _must _come on a double date with us! You know, so in case something gets brought up, or if the atmosphere becomes awkward, we'll still have each other!" Susa suggested, grinning widely.

This time, Hermione's laugh was definitely forced. "Susa... I can't intrude on your date. Besides, it's our first trip to Hogsmeade. I just want to look around before finding anybody to date."

Susa's expression fell. "But..."

"Trust me; you'll have a wonderful time with him, even without me." Hermione reassured, the sparkle in her eyes having returned, with her knowledge of the fact that Susa had dropped the double date idea.

Susa's expression grew to one of happiness as she hugged her friends. Eva raised her eyebrow, bemused, but she still hugged her anyway. Moments later, Susa left the room... to find her new boyfriend.

"Mia! You've got to teach me how you do that!" Both girls squealed as they looked conspiratorially at each other.

Nothing embarrassing was going to come out of this... or was there?

* * *

_Hogsmeade._

"This is so cool!" Padma squealed.

"I know! This is great to unwind from school!" Eva agreed, nodding. Hermione remained silent, for she was shivering slightly, but she had a smile on her face.

"Where shall we go first?" She finally managed to croak out, her nose pink from the cold.

* * *

_December and Christmas Day._

"Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. That's all you've got? That was _ages _ago, Mia!" Padma rolled her eyes, for she had expected something far better for gossip.

"He's dangerous. He's _escaped _from Azkaban." Hermione emphasised. "A convicted murderer too."

Eva and Padma rolled their eyes, despite being aware of the dangers that faced them if Sirius Black ever came across them.

"So, Mia. Have you done anything with Cedric yet?" Eva asked slyly, clearly knowing everything. Hermione narrowed her eyes as she glanced up to look at Eva.

"I haven't seen him lately." She replied curtly.

"Oh yes you have!" Eva replied in that annoying voice that everybody finds irritating. Hermione rolled her eyes, not about to fall into her trap.

"Apparently, he's eyeing Cho." Susa said simply, for everyone was looking at her to say something.

"Really?" Three voices asked in excitement.

Eva glanced at Hermione quickly and discreetly. She had a feeling that Hermione fancied the older Hufflepuff... a teeny bit, but she wasn't entirely sure. Eva was aware of the fact that she was good in reading one's emotions. This was therefore why she always used it to her advantage. But Hermione... she didn't have any emotion that edged anywhere close to jealousy or anger or frustration...

_Oh, the lack of gossip!_

* * *

_January._

"Quidditch again?" Hermione asked wearily. "You know, I'm thinking of resigning from the team."

This instantly caught Eva's attention. "You can't quit!"

"I only like the flying, Evie. The game... is just too violent."

Eva sighed. It was her best friend's choice, after all. "You do what you like. I'll support you, no matter what."

"Thanks Evie. I knew you'd see it my way!" Hermione bounced out of the room.

* * *

_February._

A knock on the door. All of the students looked up, wondering who would have the _nerve _to interrupt the Potions Master's lesson.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape. May I excuse Miss Granger and Mr Zabini for the rest of your lesson?" Professor McGonagall asked in her usual prim voice.

The Potions Master replied with a curt nod. "You may."

Everyone glanced at the top two students in the year. Were they in trouble? They didn't seem to have done anything wrong... or maybe they did.

Eva, Padma and Susa gave Hermione a reassuring pat on the hand as she glanced at them fleetingly, that one glance telling them everything that was going on inwardly. She smiled slightly as she packed her things away.

Soon, after the disruption had come and gone, everyone was still in a daze, staring into different spaces in the room. Professor Snape was the first person to snap out of it.

"Well, there's no time to waste! Get back to work!" He snapped. Everyone chanced a glance at each other – indeed, it was time to work again.

* * *

They had arrived at the Deputy Headmistress's office, where two other students, Ina Evanston (Gryffindor) and Darren Ivey (Hufflepuff) were sitting and already waiting for them. Hermione smiled at them, while Blaise kept a blank expression on his face. The Deputy Headmistress gestured for the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin to sit down on the other two empty chairs.

"The Headmaster has finally decided to allow an exchange programme between three schools: Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and of course, Hogwarts. You four students have been selected to represent Hogwarts and participate in this programme for two to three months or so. This is because your academic achievements are within the top of your year and house and thus you have been selected."

_And I thought she meant the top four, _Blaise thought. _If it were like that, Draco and Theo would be here too. They're number three and four, swapping all the time. Evanston and Ivey are something like six and eight._

The four third years nodded as Professor McGonagall paused, to allow them to understand what was to happen.

"Two of you will go to Durmstrang and the other two to Beauxbatons." She added vaguely.

A silence slipped through the gaps of the door.

Ina spoke first. "When will we be leaving, Professor?"

"_Today_." She said and stopped when she heard that they all gasped, Blaise included. "You will have supplies provided for you there. You will not leave until Sorting Hat chooses which school you shall go to."

Everyone nodded. Ina was the first to have the Sorting Hat on her head.

* * *

_Hours later..._

"Have you seen Mia?" Padma asked Susa, who was (surprisingly) reading a book.

She shook her head. Padma then proceeded to ask everybody else present in the common room – the rest of the third year boys and girls, as well as the older students.

Closing her eyes in frustration – _I hope this is not a repeat of last year._

She crossed her fingers and hoped for the best.

* * *

"Where's Blaise?" Draco asked suddenly as Theo strolled in the entrance of the common room.

"Haven't seen him since this morning," Theo replied.

"He should be back by now." Pansy commented, her eyebrows furrowing in slight concern, for it was not becoming of a Slytherin to show _too_ much emotion.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Eva woke up to see a sad and sullen sky. _It was sunshine and daisies yesterday! _

After drawing the curtains of her four-poster bed, she looked over to her neighbouring beds. It was obvious that Susa had reluctantly made her bed, albeit messily. Padma had neatly put all her stuffed toys on her pillow and made her bed with care. Mandy hadn't even bothered making her bed, but it was alright anyway. Mia... she had either spent a lot of time smoothing the creases on her blanket, or she had not returned at all. Eva hoped it was the former. She flounced off her bed as she walked slowly towards Mia's bed... her trunk was still there, but dust had started gathering there.

Slight worry had started clouding her mind, but she disregarded the matter _for now_, for she had to get dressed and get ready for classes.

* * *

"Good morning." Draco said briskly.

"What's got you in such a mood today?" Theo asked, surprised.

"Nothing." He denied quickly. Theo rolled his eyes. The ultimate denial – when one replies too quickly. It's just too obvious.

"Where's Blaise? Did you see him this morning, Draco? His bed hasn't been slept in," Theo said after a long moment of silence.

Draco shook his head.

A shriek.

All Slytherin students turned towards the sound.

* * *

"Have you seen Ina this morning, Harry?" Parvati asked, explicitly ignoring Ron, who she thought was extremely uncouth and rude.

"No, I haven't." Harry said apologetically.

* * *

"Mia's not here? Where could she be?" Padma cried.

By now, most of the students at the Ravenclaw table were aware of the fact that Hermione had not returned the night before.

A shriek.

"DARREN!"

* * *

The hall went silent, as all eyes glanced towards the Hufflepuff table, where a girl was noisily weeping for her crush.

Eyebrows were raised in confusion, bewilderment and slight amusement, for it was no surprise for anyone – the _whole _school knew of her crush on him. She was a borderline stalker!

Some people started to snigger in dismay and amusement at the girl (the Slytherins). Most just stared, some in shock, some in some strange fascination (the Gryffindors for the latter and the Ravenclaws for the former). And the rest... well, they just hummed in sympathy (the Hufflepuffs, of course!).

There was buzzing around the hall once more. _Just where could these four third year students be?_

_Perhaps they were kidnapped by the convicted Sirius Black?_

_They ran away from school?_

_They were just hiding from the rest of the school?_

So many possibilities, but so many untrue.

And many questions whirred around in each student's head.

* * *

Nina giggled slightly at the girl who was crying. Oh, the girl was pathetic. Everyone knew that she wasn't after him for him, but she was after him for his money. Everyone knew that Darren Ivey was from a very rich and influential family in the Muggle World. Everyone knew that there was something strange going on.

Ginny nudged her. "Don't laugh at her, Ni!"

"I know I shouldn't, but it's ridiculous!" She giggled some more. Ginny rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

Ginny looked towards her best friends in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Lena and Luna. The former was patting the girl's back awkwardly and the latter looked as serene and eccentric as ever.

* * *

_Arrival._

THUMP. THUMP.

Out of nowhere, two people fell to the ground. A girl with white blonde hair was walking towards her next class when she noticed the two unconscious on the ground. Muttering a few words in some foreign language; she waited a few moments, until three people arrived. The Healers. And somebody else. She babbled to them rapidly, and they only nodded. The large woman, who had accompanied the healers in white, seemed to be in control and the most dominant of the three.

Soon, after orders from the woman in control dictated that the healers would levitate the unconscious boy and girl, she followed not long after, deep in thought.

* * *

The Headmaster smiled at the Floo's flames. "Thank you, Olympe. I trust your students will be coming shortly?"

The woman in the flames nodded in affirmation. "This will be a wonderful experience for our students, Albus."

The headmaster's eyes twinkled. "And beneficial for the future as well."

* * *

Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open. She was instantly aware of the fact that she had been unconscious, for she was feeling quite stiff. Not remembering anything from the past few hours, she expected to be in the Hospital Wing.

_Oh, was she in for a surprise._

The room was very different, as compared to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Unlike Hogwarts, it didn't have plain white walls and rows of beds separated on two sides of the room. The beds here were arranged in a strategic way, so whoever was looking after their patients would be able to quickly access them. The walls... they were of a tasteful pink-blue colour. Hermione immediately perked up at the sight of the colour, for at Hogwarts, she remembered feeling strangely depressed at the sight of the plain white walls.

Her memories suddenly jerked to life, for she remembered everything now. She remembered Professor McGonagall saying that the four students (her, Ina, Darren and Zabini) were chosen to participate in the inter-school exchange programme. Then she put the Sorting Hats on their heads... then the sorting hat did some sort of a 'jig' and then she remembered being shoved into a portal...

"Granger." A curt voice came from out of nowhere pushed her out of her reverie.

She turned over and saw that it was Blaise Zabini. _Of all the people (there was Ina and Darren), it had to be him._ She thought, sighing.

"Zabini." She replied warily.

"I want to propose a truce." He said immediately after she 'greeted' him warily.

_What?_

"We will be stuck with each other, after all. I don't know anyone here, and I presume that you don't know anyone here either?" He asked, not meaning to insinuate that as a result of her parentage, she didn't know very many people in the wizarding world.

"An excellent idea, Zabini. But what do you suggest as the first step for this truce?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know... whatever you like, Granger." He replied, not as briskly as before.

An idea suddenly struck her. "Names. We can't be always referring to each other as, 'Granger' or 'Zabini', in my case. It wouldn't do well, for we're representing Hogwarts."

Blaise nodded. "Of course, Hermione." It felt weird saying her first name.

Hermione smiled slightly.

The door burst open.

"Ah. Students! You're awake. You had me worried for a moment!" A lady came bustling into the room. It was clear that she was the carer, the 'Healer' of the school.

She muttered a few words, which Hermione understood was French (she learned it when she was younger) and silence filled the room.

"We're at Beauxbatons." Blaise said simply.

* * *

"As you may know already, four of our students have disappeared. Many rumours have been started, but I will quash them now. None of them are true." The Headmaster announced.

"Today will be a day where all classes will halt, so you can search for them." The Headmaster finished. "House points will be awarded too!"

Many students cheered, but remembered that their friend(s) was missing. Soon, the hall was empty, leaving behind the professors.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Albus?" Professor Flitwick asked, for he was worried for his student, Hermione Granger.

"Yes it is." The Headmaster replied with a distinct twinkle in his eyes.

* * *

"Wow! The whole school gets an opportunity to miss school just to find four people! Mia must be quite important then," Susa said in an amused voice.

"Let's just go find Mia." Padma said simply, as Eva looked at Susa exasperatedly.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Neville had trudged up and down the school, looking for any of the students that were missing, but they were most concerned with Hermione, who had become one of their good friends in the past year.

"I tell you, Harry! Mione's not at Hogwarts!" Ron said in frustration. "We've looked everywhere!"

Harry disregarded him as he lit up his wand with 'Lumos', looking down the corridor. Ron rolled his eyes but continued looking anyway.

"What's that there?" Neville muttered. Harry and Ron glanced up, following Neville's gaze. They rushed down the corridor, going closer and closer to the two bodies.

"Who are you?" Harry peered at the conscious one of the two people.

* * *

**Greetings from me, of course!**

**Talk about some House Unity at Hogwarts! Perhaps it was all part of the great Headmaster's plan to unite the school, but without four of its students.**

**I'm sure you've come to expect this every time. The Lady of Secrets just sounds so drab, doesn't it? Well, I've thought of a new name, one so sophisticated that everyone will remember me by. I will sign off with that name today. **

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**


	13. Waltzing Like A Professional

**_Chapter Twelve: Waltzing Like A Professional_**

"You will need to be sorted into your house today." Madame Maxime muttered to herself, at the same time, she was gesturing to the Hogwarts and Durmstrang students to follow her.

After walking for quite a long time, they stood at a picturesque fairytale castle-like pink door. With the flick of her hand, Madame Maxime strode inside. The door closed, and the students glanced at each other, confused.

_Then, the door magically opened once more..._

* * *

He rubbed his eyes as it fluttered open.

"Who are you?" A boy with messy black hair standing next to a lanky red head and a stocky dark haired boy asked.

"My name is Sergio Carlos." He said hesitantly. "Do you know where the Headmaster is?"

* * *

"Ah. I have been expecting you." The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "You are Amelie Dupont and David Gilbert – Beauxbatons, I presume?"

The two students wearing Beauxbatons uniform nodded, in awe of the best wizard of the wizarding world.

"And you are Sergio Carlos and Marlene Manolo from Durmstrang?" He continued to the other two students in thick fur coats, who nodded.

"Your sortings then." He placed the Sorting Hat on David's head. He jumped when he heard the voice from the hat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Then he put the hat onto Amelie's head. "SLYTHERIN!"

And then on Sergio's head. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Marlene's. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

* * *

"I would like to introduce you all to four students. The two on my left, are Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger from Hogwarts, and on my right are Catalina Domenico and Patrick Santo from Durmstrang. Please give them your warmest welcome and if you see them around, please say hello to them, make them feel welcome and take them around our wonderful school."

Hermione chanced a glance at Blaise, her only link to Hogwarts present, who was looking quite emotionless. She felt quite out of place at the school, with her Hogwarts uniform on. Hermione noted that there were separate houses for boys and girls at Beauxbatons, unlike at Hogwarts, where it was mixed.

Madame Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons then proceeded on to dismiss the Beauxbatons students. She then informed them that they were to receive their own Beauxbatons uniforms to wear and 'blend in' with the rest of the school for the exchange programme.

"And it's time for your sortings. They will be like your second homes... until the end of the exchange." She added hastily, gently pushing Blaise towards the parchment. She muttered a few spells on the parchment and bright colours appeared.

She indicated to Blaise to wave his wand to send out some bright sparks. Hermione couldn't believe her eyes when pale blue ink suddenly started trickling onto the parchment. It was a rather strange phenomenon.

"Le Ciel." Madame Maxime muttered. _The Sky._

Then, Madame Maxime indicated to Hermione, who waved her wand and fuchsia ink appeared on the parchment.

"L'Etoile." _The Star._

Catalina: "La Lune." _The Moon._

Patrick: "La Terre." _The Earth._

"Students. Two more things I would like to add. Due to the exchange programme's rules, under no circumstance will you write to your respective school, whether it is Hogwarts or Durmstrang. Please abide by these rules and enjoy your stay at our lovely school!" Madame Maxime added.

The four students made their ways to their respective house tables. There, Hermione was instantly smothered with introductions, smiles and of course, questions.

"Hello Hermione, my name is Gisele." A girl with blonde hair smiled as she held up a hand for Hermione to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. If Hermione's too long for you to pronounce, you may call me Mia." Hermione smiled as she joked to the girls.

Soon... almost all of the girls at the L'Etoile table had introduced themselves to Hermione. Hermione had started a conversation with two girls and soon, the awkwardness that she thought she felt had dissipated away.

* * *

"Students of Hogwarts! As you may have seen today from the search (that demonstrated excellent house unity, by the way), there have been four new students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Academy. They were sorted earlier today. May I introduce you to David Gilbert and Amelie Dupont from Beauxbatons?"

The students clapped for the exchanges. "And Sergio Carlos and Marlene Manolo from Durmstrang." He finished, his eyes twinkling.

"I trust you will all make them feel welcome at Hogwarts, won't you?" He finished as he waved his hands for another magical feast.

* * *

"Isn't that Sergio Carlos a looker?" Nina asked, gushing.

"Not really. He looks to me, a stalker." Ginny replied, as her eyebrows rose in distinct surprise. She thought her friend had better taste! "That David Gilbert looks better. I think he might be a Veela. Look at all of those girls at the Ravenclaw table drooling all over him!"

"Luna isn't." Nina countered.

"Well..." Ginny hesitated. "Luna likes somebody else."

"Really? Who?" Nina asked excitedly.

Ginny glanced everywhere but at Nina. "I can't say. It's a secret."

* * *

"Is Blaise on this exchange too then? Why didn't he tell us?" Draco muttered, already missing his best friend.

"You know Draco, you could do without some of that pessimism you have there... perhaps Blaise had to leave immediately after he was told?" Theo suggested.

Draco rolled his eyes and retorted. "Dude. Don't insult me. I'm not pessimistic."

This time, it was Theo who rolled his eyes in exasperation. Draco would never admit that he was pessimistic. He was too stubborn.

* * *

It was time to return to the dormitories. Hermione followed her new-found friends up to the L'Etoile Tower. The Beauxbatons castle was breathtaking. Sparkling and glittering under the morning sun, it was just like how she imagined it to be... in a fairytale story. It was so unlike Hogwarts, for Hogwarts was an old castle – those who liked historic castles or ruins would like Hogwarts. The Beauxbatons castle was newer and brighter, for she thought that the students there would be in better moods every day, even if they had woken up on the wrong side of bed.

On the way, Hermione saw the gardeners charming the grass and the flowers and the trees, which were magically changing according to how they wanted it to be. The flowers were of distinctly different colours, and some of the flowers seemed to change colours according to how bright the sun was shining on that particular day.

The dormitories were of a tasteful pale purple colour. Hermione quickly changed into the silk pyjamas provided for her and quickly fell asleep, dreaming of knights, princes and princesses at the castle that was Beauxbatons.

* * *

"Hi Sergio. I'm Harry Potter." Harry introduced himself as they ate the feast especially for the four students that had just arrived.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Sergio replied, smiling tentatively as he shook Harry's hand.

"This is Neville Longbottom," Harry introduced. "And Ronald Weasley, but he prefers to be called Ron."

"Nice to meet you two as well."

Sergio was introduced to the other Gryffindor boys (and girls, who were trying to throw themselves at the handsome dark haired boy), including Seamus and Dean.

"This is the Gryffindor common room." Harry said later after the feast. "We socialise, do homework... lots of things occur here."

Sergio nodded, absorbing the information in like a sponge.

"This is our dormitory. This bed here is where you'll be sleeping." Ron continued, albeit more formally, filling in for Harry as he sipped some water.

"I'm sure you'll have fun at Hogwarts." Neville added, trying to dispel the awkwardness and formalities that the tense atmosphere that had built up.

Sergio smiled. "I think I will."

* * *

"That Amelie Dupont is hot." Draco commented. "And so is that Marlene Manolo. But too bad she's in Hufflepuff."

Theo rolled his eyes. "You're obsessed with girls. And you're hormonal." He managed to say.

"And you're not. Which means you have a problem." Draco countered.

"I enjoy learning, Draco. I want to get outstanding grades."

"Which makes you a nerd. A geek, even." Draco smirked.

Theo rolled his eyes. "You exasperate a lot of people, Draco."

"Such complicated words, Theo..." This time, it was Draco's turn to roll his eyes, slightly amused but confused, for he didn't understand what Theo meant.

* * *

_The next morning..._

"With Dumbledore, it's safe to say that Mia is safe." Eva muttered, loud enough for her friends to hear.

They all nodded in agreement as the exchange student from Beauxbatons, David Gilbert, arrived with their fellow Ravenclaws, Josh Knightley, Aaron Collins, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein. The girls nodded to them in greeting.

All the girls' eyes glanced towards Susa, for it was obvious that she had taken a liking to him.

"You like him, don't you?" Emma Folchart, a fourth year Ravenclaw, commented quietly.

Padma and Eva squealed mockingly. "Another one of your conquests. And the Hogsmeade trips are still countable on one hand!"

Susa rolled her eyes, denying the accusation. "I do not like him."

"The adamant denial, Susie." Eva muttered, loud enough for only her and Padma to hear.

* * *

"I have assigned two representatives from my school to take you both around." Madame Maxime said to Hermione and Blaise.

They nodded in understanding, and as if on cue, two students, a boy and a girl, wearing the same blue silk uniform entered the room.

"This is Adrien and Lisette. They will alternate between you two, for they have different classes, which should correspond to yours." Madame Maxime continued. She flicked a hand and instantly, they knew they were dismissed.

Hermione remembered Lisette from the night before, for they had carried a conversation together and smiled at her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I have the same classes with you today, Hermione." Adrien smiled charmingly.

Lisette glanced at Hermione slyly, who had flushed slightly, as Blaise rolled his eyes. _Girls. _

Adrien held out an arm for Hermione to take, and off they were to Transfiguration.

* * *

"How are you enjoying Beauxbatons, Mia?" Adrien asked, making small talk and still smiling widely.

Hermione glanced up at him, smiling demurely. "It's different to Hogwarts." She said diplomatically.

"It's very bright and glittery, puts one in a very happy mood." She added.

"I see what you mean." He said. "You should see what happens at meal times."

Hermione stared at him questioningly.

"You'll see what I mean at lunch." He smiled mysteriously, as he opened the classroom door for her. "Ladies first."

* * *

"Hello. My name is Evangeline, but you can call me Eva. What's your name?" Eva introduced herself to the girl sitting next to her, noting her Slytherin uniform and trying hard not to scrunch her nose in disgust.

Usually, Hermione sat next to Eva, but as she was away on the exchange programme, nobody was sitting next to her. Professor Flitwick had assigned the exchange students to sit at the empty seats.

"My name is Amelie." She smiled slightly as she spoke in accented English. "It's nice to meet you."

A comfortable silence came between them as the students waited for Professor Flitwick to arrive.

"What class is this?" She asked suddenly, and curiously.

"Charms," Eva replied.

"My favourite subject!" Amelie exclaimed.

Eva's eyes widened. "Mine too!"

The awkwardness that had stacked itself like a brick wall, in between them collapsed, as they began speaking animatedly about the magical subject of Charms.

* * *

In class, Hermione noticed that the French curriculum was much faster than that of Hogwarts. She had remembered all of the Hogwarts textbooks required for her year by heart, therefore the pace at which the class was speeding was not a problem for her. She resolved to spend less time in the library at Beauxbatons and instead, at the Tower, where she would be able to socialise with peers of her age, and peers of other ages. She was aware of the fact that it was a good opportunity for her, and so she wanted to grab this chance by the horns.

"How are you finding class?" Adrien whispered suddenly.

Hermione's head whipped up so quickly, her hair flicked into her eyes. She flinched as she glared at him, the glare gradually intensifying. "You're not supposed to be talking in class."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Stop being so infuriating!"

"Stop glaring at me!" He mocked her higher pitched voice.

Hermione's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Am I really like that?"

"Yes you are." He smirked when he saw her reaction.

She huffed. "Class is fine."

"So now you decide to answer me?"

"I can choose to whenever I want to, _Adrien_."

* * *

Hermione sat with Lisette at the L'Etoile table. She glanced around, wondering what Adrien had meant before.

"Why so jumpy, Mia?"

She shook her head, thinking that he was probably putting things in her head to bother her.

Suddenly, a loud applause sounded. Hermione followed the rest of the school, clapping, in confusion. Then, a harmony of voices echoed the walls. The doors opened and small creatures rushed in, singing and serenading the school. Lisette nudged Hermione to begin her meal and she obliged. The creatures seemed quite familiar, for Hermione was sure that she had read about them before.

Moments passed by as she lost herself in the music and her thoughts. _Wood Nymphs!_

* * *

A few days had passed by and Hermione had gotten used to the pace of life at Beauxbatons and was enjoying it immensely, though she missed Hogwarts and wished she could write to Eva, Padma and Susa. That day, Hermione found herself walking with Lisette to the studio.

"So we're going to a studio... what are we supposed to be doing in this class? Is it really that important for it to occur three times a week and take so much time?" She asked curiously.

"Surprise. You'll see." Lisette smiled, as an aura of mystery surrounded her.

"Good morning, Madame Charpentier." Lisette chirped cheerfully. Hermione glanced at her guide suspiciously, for Lisette didn't seem to look at her at all.

"Good morning, Lisette." This Madame Charpentier was tall, prim (just like how one would imagine Professor McGonagall to be). Her dark hair was already tied tightly in a bun, but small wisps of hair had begun to untangle itself from her hair tie. She was wearing a pair of dark trousers and a white blouse, which made her look professional and... a little like a dance teacher.

_You have got to be kidding._ Hermione thought, when she thought she had everything solved.

"Dance lessons, Lilli?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Nothing to worry about, Mia, you know." She smiled toothily. "It's not hard."

_Yeah right._

Hermione sighed, as she got up and went towards the teacher to introduce herself. Madame Charpentier explained what they were to learn. Hermione inwardly groaned – it was a waste of time to be learning etiquette when the time could be spent learning about the magical creatures, learning new, useful, different and defensive spells and brewing more useful potions for magical and medicinal purposes. Then they made some small talk about the difference between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons.

Soon, the female students began filling the room. Hermione went to sit next to Lisette and glowered at her. She grinned in response. The lesson soon commenced and Hermione sunk further down her seat, wondering what kind of crazy lesson she would be subject to next.

"Students! Today, we will recap all that we have learned in the past few years. First of all, we will revise table manners..."

* * *

"All the girls are ogling that David Gilbert. The Ravenclaw girls are luckiest. They get to see him all the time in their common room!" Nina moaned.

"It's just so like you." Lena grinned, as her eyes gleamed. "Obsessed with boys... just what will you do in seventh year?"

"The Nargles predict that you'll talk to him... in approximately a few hours," Luna said dreamily, her glassy blue eyes spaced out... in space.

"Really?" Ginny asked, genuinely interested, but not entirely sure if it was true. Luna nodded earnestly.

Lena rolled her eyes. It was a bunch of whish-wash, with the Nargles and the Crumpled Snorkacks. Although Nina didn't particularly believe in Luna, with her Nargles and co, she was quite encouraged by this and her mood had brightened considerably after Luna's prediction.

* * *

"So how was your first Etiquette class, Mia?" Adrien asked later that day.

Hermione groaned. "It was torture. Please don't remind me of it."

Blaise chuckled. "She thought it was torture because a) she doesn't like something that she isn't good at, and b) Hermione thinks that it's a waste of class time. Am I right?"

"Table manners. I mean, what's that got to do with the _academic _curriculum?" Hermione whined.

"In the French wizarding curriculum it does have _everything_ to do with it." Adrien smirked.

Hermione was lost in her thoughts, as her memories flashed back to what happened just a mere few hours ago...

"_I'm sorry; Mademoiselle Granger, but you've got your cutlery all wrong! The smaller fork on the left is supposed to be for the appetisers, the larger fork on the inside, on the left, is for the main course! Same for the knives! The spoon above your plate is for the soup. The smaller fork above is for the dessert. You must remember to work your way in as you eat! The knife on the small plate on your left is for your bread – you know, spreading the butter or the jam or whatever you want to spread on your bread with..." Madame Charpentier trailed off, her expression was clearly that of disbelief, for she could not believe that one student could have so many problems._

_Hermione flinched, making a huge effort and attempt to absorb all the information like a sponge, just like how she did at Hogwarts with the textbooks. She wasn't used to being told off in this manner. Heck, she had never garnered that much criticism in all her years __combined__ at Hogwarts! It was just so unbelievable for a goody two shoes like her!_

"_And you must sit up! No __real__ lady slouches! Ladies are supposed to be graceful." Madame Charpentier reprimanded, putting one of her hands on Hermione's stomach and the other on the small of her back and straightened it. Hermione winced at the pain she felt when she sat straight. _

"_Ooh... and I thought that Eloise was trouble." Lisette smirked, having already mastered the cutlery rules as she indicated to a plump girl sitting diagonally to their left._

_Hermione groaned. "You're not helping, Lilli."_

"_Mademoiselle Granger – you must read the Cutlery Manual! It really helps new students at this subject!" Madame Charpentier advised as she passed by their row once more._

_Hermione groaned inwardly as she put her head in her hands. Lisette smiled comfortingly."It will get better soon. You might do better at the dancing."_

"_Dancing?" Hermione gasped, gathering the attention of the class. "I'm not going to survive in that."_

"_Oh don't worry. If you have a good lead in your partner, you shouldn't do too badly."_

_Hermione sighed. Just how was she to survive this for the next few months if it was to be three times a week?_

"It's not funny!" Hermione muttered in indignation as Adrien and Blaise laughed as they heard her recount of the lesson.

_Then it was the revision of posture and poise._

"_Remember! Stand straight, head high and proud, chin UP!" Madame Charpentier called chirpily. "No, no, no! You are all doing it incorrectly! How are you meant to be the ladies of the world, if you can't even stand straight?"_

_She put a hand to her forehead stressfully. Summoning some books (they looked to be as thick as the muggle dictionaries!), which landed with a 'thump' on the ground, she handed three of the thick books per student. When Hermione received her books, she felt as if she was carrying a least ten dumbbells belonging to a weight lifter. _

"_Now put them on your heads, girls." Madame Charpentier continued explaining what she wanted her students to do. "Now WALK! Normally, please."_

_Hermione's eyes widened at what they had to do._

"_Let me guess, Lilli. You've mastered this?" Hermione asked dryly._

"_Sort of, but not really. Is that really an appropriate answer for you, Mia?" Lisette asked meekly, as she attempted to stack the three books on her head._

_Many of the girls attempted to place the heavy books on their heads, but failed, for the books toppled on the ground, with multiple crashes at a time. Madame Charpentier pinched the bridge of her nose, for she was clearly frustrated at the lack of concentration and effort coming from her students._

"_Ah! Mademoiselle Baudelaire has done it!" Madame Charpentier exclaimed. Everyone gazed towards Lisette, who noticed all the attention and blushed as she took the books off her head._

"_Now, if you use as much effort as Mademoiselle Baudelaire puts into her work, you can do this too!" Madame Charpentier reprimanded all of the students._

"_How do you do that?" Hermione asked Lisette incredulously, as she struggled to put the books that she had dropped back onto her head._

"_Like this." Lisette gently pried the books out of Hermione's hands and put the books onto her head._

"_A straight back is essential to all of this. Concentrate. You can do it, Mia."_

* * *

"You don't want to play, Sergio. He only wants to find people worse than him. He beats us all after a mere number of moves." Harry said in a stage voice.

Sergio laughed. He was truly enjoying himself at Hogwarts. Too bad he couldn't stay there forever... and there were his friends to go back to at Durmstrang...

"Come on, Sergio! Please could you play wizard's chess with me?" Ron begged. "I'll even go easy on you if you really insist on not playing!"

Neville looked up from the little game he was playing with this ball and cube and rolled his eyes, then went back to playing with the puzzle ball and cube.

* * *

Soon, it was around a month into the exchange after Hermione had finally mastered the cutlery and all of the etiquette (indeed, she couldn't believe it at all), it was time to mix with the male students for the dance lessons.

Hermione wasn't particularly excited for these lessons, though when she was young, her parents had insisted that she learned how to dance – ballet, jazz and in the ballroom. She wasn't too bad, for she knew she could listen to the beats of the song, but she could only hope that she wasn't going to embarrass herself in class.

The girls were all dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Hermione and Lisette, as well as the rest of the female class waited for Madame Charpentier, who was going to teach them for this class as well, to arrive. The male students filed in and then after the last one had arrived, Madame Charpentier entered into the room like a whirlwind.

"Good morning class... as you should all know, this dance class will be once a week, on top of your etiquette lessons that are three times a week and all your other classes." Madame Charpentier announced, smiling.

"This is going to be fun. I can barely dance." Lisette muttered in a subdued and sarcastic tone. Hermione patted her shoulder in understanding.

"Mademoiselle Granger! No talking! I suppose you will do the demonstration of the waltz for the class?"

Hermione flushed red, from embarrassment, for she hadn't been talking at all. Inwardly sighing, she caught Blaise and Adrien sniggering at her misfortune.

"Monsieur Zabini! I suppose you wouldn't mind accompanying Mademoiselle Granger to do the waltz?"

Blaise's eyes widened in shock at what Madame Charpentier had just insisted he do, as Hermione's sour expression contorted into a smirk, worthy of a Slytherin's.

"You laugh at me and so I've dragged you down to suffer with me." Hermione said quietly, as her eyes gleamed slyly.

"Ah. How convenient! Our exchange students will dance for you, and you will watch and comment on their technique and movement." Madame Charpentier declared.

"Bow and curtsey!" Madame Charpentier crossed her arms and smiled, as she anticipated in seeing the standard of dancing from the Hogwarts and Durmstrang (which she would see later) students, compared to the students at Beauxbatons, the ones she usually taught.

"Have you danced before?" Blaise asked curiously, bowing, as he held out a hand for Hermione to clasp.

"I have." Hermione replied, curtseying and clasping his hand. "And you?"

He merely nodded.

The waltz music flooded through the silence of the room and they danced.

* * *

"Hello... Nina, isn't it?" A distinct masculine voice came from behind.

Nina didn't recognise it and turned around to reprimand the person for disturbing her reading. However, her sour expression dissipated when she saw who it was. She nearly fell over in shock as she mentally swooned at his good looks and charm.

"Yes, my name is Nina. You're David, right?" She smiled. He nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He added, nearly forgetting his manners. She nodded and said the same.

They made some small talk, and Nina smiled inwardly as she noted to thank Luna later – maybe Nargles really existed like Luna said, maybe they were like Seers.

* * *

Step. Step. Step. Twirl. Hermione felt strangely graceful as she danced with Blaise in front of their peers.

Adrien stared, flabbergasted at the pair dancing like professionals. Madame Charpentier nodded in excitement – they were perfect examples to use for future dances! Lisette had an unreadable expression on her face, but if one really stared intently at her eyes, they contained that of amusement, cunning and mischief.

"Prepare to end the waltz. The music is ending soon." Madame Charpentier called, clearly impressed by the pair.

The music ended. The class was impressed by their guests, for they hadn't expected such excellent dancing. Everyone applauded the pair, who bowed and curtseyed as they grinned widely, for they had finally made an impression on their peers.

* * *

The hall was instantly hushed as Madame Maxime stood up to speak after the feast. "In honour of our guests, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger from Hogwarts, and Catalina Domenico and Patrick Santo from Durmstrang, I have decided to..."

All of the students gazed at the Beauxbatons gazed in anticipation at the Headmistress.

* * *

**Of course, it isn't a French school if its students don't speak French! I've translated their speech into English (obviously, B and H would speak to them in the school's language), so it would be a whole lot easier to understand for all of us.**

**What has Madame Maxime got in store for her school? I don't know. Do you? Everyone is welcome to have their own opinions – you know you want to tell me what you think of what Madame Maxime has decided!**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**


	14. Free

**_Chapter Thirteen: Free_**

Gasps of surprise and delight could be heard from far, far away…

* * *

"We've caught Black!" One of the Aurors on the case barged in the door, panting in relief.

"Well done Tanner. Give my warm congratulations for the others too." The Minister, Cornelius Fudge, praised, his eyes alight.

"He was rather reluctant to be caught though, unlike how he was thirteen years ago." Tanner added.

Fudge's eyebrows rose, as he dived into his thoughts. "Put him in the interrogation room and ready the Veritaserum."

* * *

"I think he likes me." Nina declared to Ginny, Lena and Luna.

Ginny glanced over to Lena in bewilderment, her eyes clearly that of disbelief. "No...?"

Nina huffed when she saw this exchange. "He does!"

"I think he does too." Luna said, her eyes glazed over, as if mulling over a romantic scene in her mind.

Nina smiled at them triumphantly, _two against two it was_!

"What makes you think that David Gilbert likes you?"

"Well, last time..." Nina explained what had happened, as Lena and Ginny rolled their eyes in exasperation, for they had enough of her ramblings and her extreme obsession with the exchange student from Beauxbatons.

* * *

"Peter Pettigrew is still alive? Black, are you _sure_? You've been in Azkaban. He died thirteen years ago!"

"That's what _you_ think." Sirius Black replied curtly. "Believe what you want. But I know that coward is at Hogwarts, disguised as an Animagus. I know it's a rat."

"Well I never! An unregistered Animagus? Impossible!" Another voice responded in disbelief, clearly unsure as to what to believe – the official facts, or what the guy in custody was informing them.

"Anything is possible." Sirius rasped, for he had not had anything to drink for a long time. "Give me some Veritaserum – that is so you'll know that I'm telling the truth."

The first man who had spoken hesitated, evidently unsure as he glanced at the second man, who nodded at him, for he was clearly the boss. "Give it to him."

* * *

Lisette's eyes were gradually glazing over in distinct happiness as they made their way back to their dormitories from the hall after eating. "A ball!"

"A ball. Yes we know. You've said that many, many times, Lilli." Hermione said, almost to herself, in a glum voice. "How distinctly _fun_."

"Mia! It _is_ going to be fun!" Lisette squealed, jumping up and down. Hermione winced – balls weren't her cup of tea. "You'll get what I mean when the time comes!"

_Yeah… when I don't go. _Hermione thought to herself in vague irritation.

"What a waste of time a ball is!" mimicked a male voice from behind. A chuckle.

Lisette and Hermione glanced behind. It was Adrien and Blaise. Hermione glanced forward once again, pretending that she hadn't seen them. They had made their way up to the path that split into what was deemed as 'crossroads.' Adrien and Blaise headed left, the girls heading right, Gisele joined them from behind, deliberately scaring Lisette in the process.

"Mia! A ball! How wonderful it will be!" She shrieked in delight. "I know who your date should be!"

"Really? Who?" Lisette asked. Her unusual behaviour charged on as she excitedly jumped up and down.

"Blaise!" Gisele grinned, a sly gleam in her eyes. Hermione's eyebrows rose and disappeared into the hair covering her face.

"What an excellent match!" Isidore agreed when she had caught up with them, winking at Hermione, who blushed. "Two graceful dancers on in the ballroom…"

They all lost themselves in the depths of their minds, but not a moment later, they jumped up, cheerfully chattering on about the ball once more. Hermione smiled weakly, trying to feel as enthusiastic as they were. But she couldn't. It was difficult to empathise with them, to squeal and shriek in delight, when she didn't even appreciate it. Balls were simply not her cup of tea at all! She thought they were a waste of time and girls like Lisette and Gisele, who were perfectly normal girls on occasions when there weren't any balls ahead, became obsessed with their beauty and figures. She sighed inwardly, absently nodding at what Lisette, Gisele and Isidore babbled about, trying to make it seem as though she was listening.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Narcissa's serene expression that came with waking up slightly later in the day, faded instantly when she saw the owl appear at the window. Slowly and cautiously, she opened the window, allowing the owl, as well as the morning sun into her parlour. The yellowed parchment seemed vaguely familiar to her, as she stared at it, after prying it away from the owl's feet. She murmured her grateful thanks, offering the owl some of the gourmet owl treats available on the rosewood shelf. The owl pecked fussily at the yellow and the red coloured treats, and hooted in gratitude, as it flew out of the window. Gently breaking the wax seal that belonged to the Ministry, she smoothed out the parchment, reading the tiny scrawl in black ink.

As she put the parchment down, her eyes were clearly that of shock and surprise, as she breathed heavily, almost hyperventilating – one had to know the difference between a heavy breath and a hyperventilation. She knew what she had to do after all these years. After all these years of silence; she knew she had to break out of it, break free of the glass window that restricted her from going out there, in order to find out the truth and nothing but the truth. The first stop would be to track where the letter came from. Obviously, with the Ministry's distinct seal on it, she knew she had to go there first. Spying and snooping around weren't her forte, but she knew what to do to obtain the information she wished to know.

Distinctly aware of the fact that Malfoys were never _seen_ in doing the transportation of the Floo fireplace, she disregarded this fact, and threw some of the expensive Floo powder from the small gold cauldron into the fireplace, stepping in and leaving only dust behind.

* * *

"Right. So you want to use _Amortentia _on the poor guy... _just _to solidify his 'fancy' for you?" Ginny asked incredulously. "Are you sure he even fancies you?"

Ginny hastily retracted the comment, for she had not meant for that to come out in such a manner, saying that she was only trying to protect her friend. Which she was. It was true.

"I was just joking!" Nina defended herself.

"Right..." Lena muttered, clearly not believing what Nina had said. Nina mock glared at her, but knew that Lena only vaguely understood what she wanted.

* * *

"Impossible! Sirius Black was indeed telling the truth!" The man muttered.

"Indeed he was. We have misjudged him for so many years... he wasn't even allowed a trial! I _must_ have a word with that Barty Crouch... Sirius Black must be allowed to roam a free man." The Minister, Cornelius Fudge, muttered to himself, inwardly counting his list of priorities.

A silence wedged between the man and the Minister, who was deep in thought.

"We must find Peter Pettigrew."

* * *

_Click. Click. Click. Click. _The sound of the music drilled itself into Hermione's ears as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Good morning class!" Madame Charpentier chirped, almost happily as the class gathered into a circle around her.

"We shall learn how to dance the salsa today." She continued, rubbing her hands together as she put the students into pairs.

"Alright! Step. Step. Step. Step. Come on, people!" Madame Charpentier led the dancing, as she beckoned the class's most accomplished dancers to the front to 'encourage' the rest of the students. The exchange students from Hogwarts, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger slowly walked to the front.

* * *

"Tanner, Bentley – you shall track down Pettigrew's activities, starting from a week before the night he 'died' to the night he _supposedly _died. Olson, Thomson and Nelson - I want you to look up Pettigrew's family information, family tree, whatever you can find in the public records. Lancing, Smith – you will search for who was there that day on that street, what was the scene before the killing of those thirteen muggles. Hendrickson, Priestley – you will meet up with the criminologists from the magical law department to discuss what motive Sirius Black had to go to that street to find Pettigrew-"

The boss was interrupted by the man called Hendrickson. "Sir- didn't you ask Black during the interrogation with the Veritaserum already?"

"No. The potion was very mild, but penetrated through Black's weak immune system- apparently, thirteen years in Azkaban breaks the immune system down. It wore off very quickly, for we were in a hurry to go to the next hearing. Now, why on _earth _am I telling you this?" The boss babbled in curiosity.

The man called Hendrickson shrugged.

"_Now get to work_!"

The nine Ministry employees that were called up, male and female, scurried away in all directions of the Ministry – the library, the magical law department, the public records centre, etc.

* * *

Fast music replaced the irritating repetition of drum clicks. Hermione sighed with relief as she sat down, fatigued, from all the salsa dancing they had done for the half day. _This is ridiculous_, she thought, as she recognised the music as being tango music.

"Shall we?" Blaise held out an arm as he smirked, for Madame Charpentier had insisted they go to the front to dance as a demonstration for the rest of the 'less competent', a direct quote from her in whispers. Hermione rolled her eyes.

_Step. Step. Twist. Twist. Drop._

"That was an excellent effort, Monsieur Zabini and Mademoiselle Granger! You both are clearly accomplished dancers. Class, you must study their demonstration! You see how _graceful _their technique is? Why can't you do it to the same standard as they do?" Madame Charpentier praised Hermione and Blaise as she moaned the class's general weaknesses to the rest of the students in the class.

* * *

"Sirius!" She breathed, her cold demeanor in her eyes fading away into softness.

"Narcissa." Sirius replied briskly, as his eyes turned cold at the sight of his ex-cousin and he turned away from her. "How may I help you today… after so _long_?"

Narcissa inwardly cringed at his cold demeanor. She knew she had to stay confident. "You're free."

"I am aware of that, thank you." Sirius's voice cracked slightly, for he was becoming quite irritated with her.

Narcissa blinked again, clearly surprised as she went over to hug him tightly. Her favourite cousin was in her arms once again. "You're free." She said again, this time her voice expressed that of happiness instead of surprise.

Sirius stiffened, not knowing how to respond to this hug from Narcissa as he attempted to grasp what his favourite ex-cousin was doing. She was showing him… _affection _in such a public place…? He was failing to understand what was happening, for it was not how they had been brought up to become.

* * *

"We're free for today!" Lisette squealed as she rushed into the L'Etoile common room the next morning.

"Free for today...? Why?" Isidore trailed off, clearly not understanding what her friend said.

"We're free to go to Le Belle Boulevard to shop for dresses." Hermione sighed, obviously not matching up to Lisette's happy mood.

Gisele excitedly jumped up from her seat, her parchments of homework and revision flying everywhere, but she didn't care. "Shopping!" She squealed, her subdued mood clearly having improved.

"No classes!" Isidore high fived her excited friends that excluded Hermione, who was deep in concentration as she did her homework, her quill still scratching away at the parchment.

Hermione was caught by surprise when suddenly her quill and parchment had been snatched out of her grip.

"I haven't done anything to you today!" Hermione protested feebly as she stretched out her arm to retrieve her parchment and quill.

"Not yet, you haven't. Mia, if you continue doing all that homework and revision (everyone knows you're at least two weeks ahead of schedule, and Hogwarts is at least 2 months behind our curriculum!), you'll have committed a sin." Lisette said in mock seriousness as she stretched her arm with the quill and parchment, away from Hermione's grasp.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "May I have my parchment and quill back please?" She held out her hands meekly, her fingers wriggling about, missing the texture of the feathery quill and the rough parchment.

"Only if you promise not to do any more homework. You need a break from all that stress! You look so stiff!" Lisette bargained, her eyes shining.

Hermione knew that she had only one option: to agree to go shopping, which she dreaded immensely. She only liked doing her shopping when she had finished a good pile of homework (which is a lot, as we all know!), which was something far, far away...

* * *

Sirius had reluctantly agreed to visit Malfoy Manor at Narcissa's insistence. Although he was wary of the dark artefacts that lurked around (Sirius had known this before he was thrown into Azkaban, and rumours do circulate, after all), he made an effort (a huge one) to make himself feel at home, just like he did all those years ago when he was a child. He propped an elbow on the armrest and put his feet up on the glass table, much to Narcissa's obvious displeasure, which he disregarded, for he knew that if she wanted his forgiveness (when he ran away at 16, she didn't do anything to stop him – she knew this, and he was immensely insulted but his pride would not let him to show it outright), so she would have to comply with what he did.

"You _must _stay here, Sirius, even if it's only for a while." Narcissa insisted as they neared toward the 'end' of Sirius's visit.

"No he cannot." A voice from far away called. "I will not have a _convicted murderer_ in _my_ house."

"If he's here, I'm leaving." Sirius nodded, summoning his jacket and heading for the door.

"Lucius! What is wrong with you today? Sirius is free!" Narcissa admonished sternly, clearly irritated. "My cousin will be allowed to stay, and that's _that_. You _will_ tolerate him."

Lucius appeared at the top of the staircase, his expression was that of annoyance. He nodded once, and left. Sirius was at the door, clutching the doorknob as he glanced up.

"He still has that arrogance about him." He commented, still clutching the doorknob. "Nobody would like him if he carries on like that."

"Lucius will be himself. It's difficult for him to conform to drastic change." Narcissa sighed.

* * *

"I absolutely _love_ it here at Le Belle Boulevard! Look at that _lovely_ dress!" Gisele exclaimed happily, pointing at the lime green dress on the moving mannequin. Lisette and Isidore squealed in unison as they saw dresses that they liked.

"Beautiful… such _soft _fabric! I _have_ to try this one on!" Isidore squealed.

Hermione stood there, finding it extremely difficult to adjust to her new surroundings and her friends acting so _girly_. Although she had been to Le Belle Boulevard the summer before third year with her parents, she was just so _not used _to doing it with friends, for she had been used to her mum picking out formal wear for her.

Instead of doing what she was supposed to do (she was supposed to find a dress, for she had left the robes and the formal wear she had bought at Le Belle Boulevard last summer at Hogwarts and at home), she flopped down onto the sofa that was available for visitors to rest, discreetly admiring all the blouses, skirts, dresses and robes – all the formal wear on display for customers to see.

Isidore had emerged from the changing room, looking as beautiful as she always did. "What do you think of this dress on me?" She asked Hermione, who was the only one outside sitting around, bored.

Hermione gazed at her, evidently mesmerised. "Beautiful." She smiled, for it was all she could say to her. Seemingly pleased with her answer, Isidore stared at the floating mirror, admiring herself.

"Shouldn't you be looking for a dress too, Mia?" She asked, one of her eyebrows rising and disappearing into her hair. Hermione shook her head.

"I'm not planning to go." Hermione said quietly. But it wasn't quite quiet enough.

"You can't _not _go to the ball! It's the first one the school's had in _years_!" Gisele said, and her voice had gone up at least two octaves.

"And it's in honour for our exchange students." Isidore reminded them, her composure and her voice the epitome of calm.

An awkward silence had entered the room. Gisele was almost seething at the fact that Hermione had even thought of not going (she had disregarded this and thought to herself that Hermione was just having some 'jitters'). On the other hand, Isidore had the expression of blankness; evidently, she was calm and not as furious as Gisele was. Lisette… well, she didn't seem to have heard what had just been going on in the store.

"Mia! This dress will fit you!" Lisette held up a dress, hanging on a coat hanger. "Come on, try it on!"

Bored, Hermione reluctantly stood up and took the dress from Lisette, smiling slightly. Gisele's expression had dissipated, Isidore was grinning like a Cheshire cat. She entered the changing room, slipping into the soft material. The mirror was moving from side to side.

"Are you sure?" She whispered hesitantly. It twitched slightly. She heaved a breath and pulled the curtains to the side.

"MIA!"

* * *

"Wait- _Nina _likes David Gilbert?" The boy with the glasses asked incredulously as the two girls surrounded him with complaints.

"Yes Harry. How many times do I have to repeat myself over a _four word phrase_?" Lena asked exasperatedly, for she was becoming a little irritated by Harry's failure to absorb gossipy information.

"Well, it wasn't expected, after all…" Neville defended one of his best friends. "I mean, David is nice, and we know that loads of girls like him, but _Nina_?"

"That's not very nice." Lena reprimanded automatically as she defended her friend. "You can't really control who you are attracted to, after all. It's the hormones."

"It's quite obvious- of course, we didn't tell you that. Neville noticed, didn't you?" Ginny smiled at Neville, who nodded, for people were often misled about his intelligence.

* * *

"She does miss you, you know." Narcissa said as she sipped her expensive tea from the even more expensive china. "You _are_ family, after all."

Sirius harrumphed. "Right. And I've been to hell five times and back."

Narcissa stared at him pointedly, clearly trying to make a point, trying to make Sirius understand.

Sirius sighed. "Look, Cissy. It is _extremely _difficult to believe that _she _misses _me_. Are we even on the same page here?"

"She was very, very withdrawn when you ran away, you know." Narcissa added, trying to make it seem better, even though that statement was making it even worse, as Sirius scoffed.

"This is _Bellatrix _we're talking about here, Cissy." Sirius said pointedly, his eyebrows disappearing into his dark mop of hair. Narcissa was evidently twitching with slight amusement, aware of the fact that she was losing the battle – drastically.

* * *

"That is not for you. That dress is so... _drab_." Lisette commented as she shooed Hermione back into the changing room to change out of the dress.

Gisele shook her head in disapproval as she clucked. "No."

"Sorry." She cringed as she attempted to conceal her expression of slight disgust – the dress looked extremely ugly on Hermione.

Hermione quickly got out of the beige coloured dress and emerged out into the store. She glanced around the store dejectedly, as Gisele and Lisette continued taking dresses off their coat hangers and piling them on the mountain of coloured materials in the basket.

Then, it was there. As if it had appeared there by magic (it's not a surprise if it was!), it shimmered and sparkled under the store's bright lights as it stayed put there. Hermione breathed heavily, her eyes shining with evident happiness.

It was the dress she had always wanted.

"I'm going to try this on." She murmured to Isidore, who was waiting in anticipation to see what Gisele and Lisette's dresses would look like. Now, Hermione was going to try something on (of her own accord!), Isidore was ecstatic and excited.

* * *

Susa stared dreamily into space.

"What's wrong with her?" Padma asked incredulously, for Susa had been acting like this for the past several days. "She doesn't need to book a trip to St. Mungo's, does she?"

"She's daydreaming again." Eva said in a matter-of-fact voice, sighing at the same time, to Padma. "'Ne would always keep her in check."

"I know." Padma sighed as well. "I wish 'Ne would come back soon."

* * *

"That is _the_ dress for you." Isidore declared loudly. Realising that the whole store could hear her, she blushed in embarrassment.

"Red is definitely your colour." Gisele nodded with approval. "You should wear red more often."

"Breathtaking!" Lisette gushed. "And it says that it's one of a kind too!"

Hermione looked extremely bewildered. "You're not being serious, are you?"

Lisette blinked. "Of course I am being serious! We all are! That beige dress before was _not flattering _on you. It may look flattering on my grandma, but _most certainly _not on you!"

Hermione smiled. "So I have _the_ unanimous approval – I must buy it."

* * *

The owl dropped the letter quickly, which fell onto the small rosewood desk with the expensive vase. Narcissa's breathing stopped for a moment, scared that the vase would fall and smash to the ground.

"An owl at this time of day?" Narcissa muttered to herself, not noticing that Sirius's expression had darkened immensely. "It's for me too! I would have thought that it was for Lucius."

She took the letter from the table and swiftly cut open the seal. Sirius's eyes could only widen more and more, as he waited in nervous anticipation for Narcissa to finish reading the letter.

* * *

"It's getting late now. We _should _be going back to school." Hermione said worriedly.

"Don't worry. The carriages will still be waiting for us." Lisette said in a reassuring voice, but as she looked away, her expression was also quite worried.

"Don't worry! We're still early!" Gisele said dismissively. Isidore rolled her eyes. _Typical Gisele._

* * *

"Who is it from?" Sirius asked urgently, for Narcissa had an expression of blankness on her face. Sirius could see right through the mask, as if it was transparent and knew something was clearly wrong and that she had done something that she regretted. They were cousins, after all.

"It's from…"

* * *

**The plot thickens immensely! Who do you think the letter is from? Tell me what you think! I want to hear all about what you think!**

**A ball at Beauxbatons! It seems like because of Gisele, Isidore and Lisette, H has relented and is reluctant to go! Stay tuned and watch this space to see how that fares out!**

**How do you think the Ministry is going to go about capturing Pettigrew? Surely, he **_**should**_** know that not everything goes to plan… even after a very, very long time.**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. And a new addition my signing off… below is a sneak preview of what is going to happen next!**

* * *

"Where are my earrings? _You _knew where I put them and I never told anybody else!"

**- A catfight may ensue. But between whom?**

* * *

"What I want to say is... would you like to accompany me to the ball?"

**- Who is being asked to go to the ball? Does this person say yes, or no? The betting may begin!**

* * *

"Cissy... who is Mia?"

- **Watch out for Sirius's reaction!**


	15. An Evening Of Extravagance

_**Chapter Fourteen: An Evening Of Extravagance**_

**As early as at 5am, when the sunlight seeps through the little gaps in between the curtains, you know one thing: daylight has arrived. The morning is when the sky is beautiful blue; the birds have awoken and emerge from their nests, singing all those sweet tunes, which means spring is arriving quickly. It's also a time when we all wake up, and get ready for school, anticipating the day ahead.**

**And a cheerful good morning to you all on the Upper Wizarding Street.**

* * *

"Tonight, we shall meet again in our most beautiful and elegant clothing!"

* * *

_After being dismissed from breakfast..._

"I don't understand what you mean. Please could you say it more slowly?" Her eyes were furrowed in concentration, as she attempted to decipher what he was saying.

"What I want to say is... would you like to accompany me to the ball?" He asked.

Her eyes widened, her expression displaying both shock and surprise. "Of course I would." She smiled.

"I'll see you later." He winked. She blushed as she discreetly watched him walk away.

* * *

_In the morning – some mental preparation for the ball that evening. Lisette had not allowed any of the girls to eat any breakfast at all..._

"I'm so excited!" Lisette gushed. "We must have the best makeovers, facials, manicures and pedicures!"

"So _no_ breakfast...?" Hermione's eyes scrunched in agony. She _needed_ her energy. Lisette pulled out some drawers, which contained some cartons of what seemed to be lotions, liquids for facials, masks, nail varnish, etc.

"How will you be able to fit into your dress? You must look slim tonight! I mean, you have to dance at least twice! After all... are you sure you are without a date?" Lisette questioned, her eyes probing curiously at Hermione. "I can arrange one for you!"

Hermione shook her head; smiling slightly as she visually imagined what the French girl's expression would look like if she really did have a date to the ball. She dabbed a finger into one of the cartons with what seemed to be an avocado mask and put some on her face.

"It's alright." She said quietly. "With or without a date, I'm going to enjoy it anyway."

Lisette rolled her eyes. "You'd have fun with one..." She said slyly.

Hermione could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "_Lisette..._"

* * *

"The letter is from _Bellatrix_?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I thought Azkaban didn't allow prisoners to write letters to people outside! I most certainly _did__not_write any letters to anyone!"

Narcissa glanced at him pointedly as she hesitantly and wordlessly handed the letter over to Sirius, who read the parchment slowly and carefully. Narcissa stared at her cousin, scared, as she anticipated in seeing Sirius's reaction.

"Cissy... who is Mia?" He asked slowly, unsure as to whether or not to believe his gut instinct that was screaming at him.

Narcissa sighed – she knew she would have to tell him sooner or later. "You see, Sirius... Draco is not an only child."

He knew it was the worst. And he could only further assume the worst as he timidly asked, "Where is she?"

* * *

She _knew _she had to go out and get something. Anything Looking at what she was wearing, she knew she didn't have the time to change out of her dressing gown. Quickly wiping off the green goo on her face (you know, girls with facials...), she tiptoed towards the door, stealthily managing to open the door and leave the room without anyone noticing. Luckily, the others hadn't returned yet.

She felt like one of those muggle spies from the muggle movies (Alex Rider, James Bond, Johnny English – just why were they all male?) as her gaze flickered around the corridor, her eyes and ears on alert for people coming. She had reached the staircase... _Creak!_She cringed. The step on the staircase was _not_supposed to do that! She quickly made her way downstairs without making another sound. Suddenly, she heard chatter. Instinctively, she panicked as she glanced around for the intruders that disturbed her escape.

_Nobody there._

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, she casually walked out of the door of L'Etoile Tower, discreetly glancing around for potential intruders (i.e. Adelaide, Analiese, Arielle, Cerise, Jasmine, Mathilde, Nadia, Odette, Sophie – there were so many of them that could be around!) that would disturb her escape and run off to tell Lisette.

As all the girls at Beauxbatons had complete access to the other girls' towers and dormitories (of course, with permission) and could potentially go up and tell Lisette. She just hoped that she wouldn't encounter them on her way. She breathed heavily, making a big effort to calm her almost-hyperventilating self down.

Continuing her small steps down the narrow but tastefully coloured corridor, she was wary of what could come along.

Then - she had finally arrived at her destination. Happily opening the door, she did not expect what she saw.

"Mia?"

_Oh no._

* * *

"You gave her to the _muggles_?" Sirius said in a loud voice of incredulous calm. "That breaches the Statute of Secrecy! Now they know _everything_! What's _wrong _with you, Cissy?"

"And I thought you didn't bend to obey the rules." Narcissa muttered to herself, clearly annoyed.

"I did learn something at the magical law school in the two days I was there before I dropped out and went to do Auror training." Sirius said huffily, a little insulted by the fact that he was being extremely underestimated.

* * *

Lisette came out of the bathroom, her hair dry and ready to be tweaked with to turn into something beautiful for the night at the ball.

"Mia?" She called. "Mia?"

She glanced around the room. It seemed like nobody had been there since she had gone to bath until her fingers were like prunes.

She groaned to herself, for she knew exactly where Hermione was. _I __thought __I __told __her __not __to __go __out! _She huffed as she took off her dressing robe and quickly threw on some casual clothes. She rushed out of the room like a tornado, visibly annoyed and irritated at the fact that Hermione had not listened or followed her ball manual.

* * *

"Anyway, I really need to go now, Cissy. It was nice talking to you again." Sirius said warmly, hugging his cousin.

Narcissa smiled. "Anything for my favourite cousin, Siri."

The door was opened, and his presence not detected, but missed, just moments after he left the manor.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" The figure asked suspiciously.

"Shouldn't you be doing your girly manicures and pedicures?" Another voice asked, this time, in a more amused voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she stuffed a chocolate éclair into her mouth, dainty at the same time. "What do you think? I came here to eat."

The two figures put a hand to their mouths, gasping in mock surprise.

"I thought you were supposed to be trying to look as slim as possible in your dress tonight!" The second figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Blaise. Hermione knew that she could only assume the first figure to be Adrien, Lucas, Eric, Thomas, Sebastien or Martin... there were so many people!

"And _what __on __earth _are you wearing?" Blaise asked, scrutinising her intensely. Hermione blushed under the intense inspection. Then she realised something.

"Don't tell Lisette." Hermione pleaded to them, her eyes wide. They could only smirk in response. Another person had entered the room. One could tell by this because of the person's distinctive steps across the floor.

It was Fleur Delacour, who was only two years older than Hermione, beautiful and ethereal, a goddess. Her entrance was evident because Blaise and co had turned to stare, gawp and drool at her.

"Mia? What are you doing here?" She asked kindly, taking no notice of the other two boys, one of them attempting so hard to hide his gawp and the other so blatant, that one would have to be extremely dense not to notice.

Hermione had gotten to know the girl well enough to hold a decent conversation with her. Fleur was of another house, La Lune, and was one of the mentoring students to the students in her year. As there were exchange students, the mentoring students often took the exchange students around, when students of the same house and year as the exchanges (examples being Adrien mostly to Blaise and Lisette mostly to Hermione – except when they had to swap around for male-female interaction) were not available.

"I came down to eat." Hermione muttered, evidently not feeling well enough to eat like she was just moments ago.

"It's alright. I understand. I do that sometimes too." She smiled, putting a reassuring hand on Hermione's shoulder, which immediately soothed the younger girl. Blaise's expression was clearly gobsmacked, as was the other figure's, even worse – he was flabbergasted, which Hermione presumed to be Eric, but didn't seem to be Eric...

_Just who was he?_

* * *

"Sirius, your presence has been clearly missed in the past thirteen years. It's a shame that you didn't get a trial though." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "And no, there has not been any Order action."

Sirius almost pouted, but he remembered who he was with. "Anyway, I wished to tell you something." Sirius's eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded slowly, to show that it was important.

Dumbledore's strange and queer twinkle never faltered, as he leaned in to listen to Sirius's hoarse whisper.

"I went to Narcissa Malfoy's home today, you know, Lucius Malfoy's wife? Well, she said..."

* * *

"What on _earth_ are you doing here?" Lisette almost screeched in frustration and irritation, glaring intensely at Hermione.

Hermione instantly turned around, her expression quite sheepish as she embarrassedly gazed to the ground. If her stare could penetrate through anything, the ground would have borne a hole the size of a muggle manhole.

"I was eating." She managed to squeak. As if by instinct, Hermione glanced around quickly and saw Blaise and the other figure shaking with chuckles and laughter. Her cheeks could only redden even more as she braced herself to hear Lisette's screech.

"You're not supposed to be here! What did I tell you this morning?" Lisette demanded loudly, clearly irritated.

Hermione's figure slumped, as she felt even more sheepish for even attempting (and succeeding... almost) to leave the L'Etoile tower's dormitories.

Lisette's face softened slightly. "Let's just go back to the dorms, Mia."

Hermione inwardly sighed blissfully in relief, and chancing a glance at Blaise, he was evidently flabbergasted and shocked at the fact that Hermione had been let off, somehow quite safe from Lisette's angry wrath. Hermione smirked at him, for she was clearly enjoying the fact that she had escaped it, and he had never ever escaped from it. Hermione supposed that it was because some people had all the luck and he didn't have any.

* * *

"I see what you mean, Sirius. However, one should not make any assumptions-"

"I am _not _making any assumptions sir. She told me! I could show you a memory too." Sirius interrupted the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Dumbledore sighed. "I shall take this into account. But meanwhile, because it has not been set in stone, you should be making yourself comfortable at Molly Weasley's home – Ron Weasley lives there, and he is Harry's best friend at Hogwarts. Who knows when there will be a time when we shall need a Phoenix's headquarters?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes were watering at his regret at not being able to see his godson grow up. Nodding at Dumbledore when he was dismissed, he stepped into the Floo fireplace and 'poof', he was gone.

_In __due __time __Sirius, __you __will __understand... _Dumbledore thought, sighing aloud, albeit wistfully.

* * *

_I shall meet you at the front entrance – the one with unicorn in ice shielding the mahogany door. Not many people will be meeting their dates there, for I have heard that they have arranged to meet near the wood nymphs. I am looking forward in seeing how beautiful you will look tonight._

_I am already counting the hours, minutes and the seconds until I see you later._

She smiled, extremely flattered by the note.

* * *

"Where are my earrings? _You _knew where I put them and I never told anybody else!" Gisele panicked as she pointed a finger at Isidore.

Isidore looked extremely offended as her expression contorted to that of hurt. "Are you implying that I took your earrings? I _most __certainly __did __not_!"

"You knew where I put them. I didn't tell anyone else. So of course it has to be you!" Gisele accused, her voice rising several octaves, slowly walking closer to Isidore.

Isidore glared at her, the glare rapidly intensifying as they stared at each other, waiting for the other person to break away from the stare.

A silence came by, and it seemed like eternity until -

"Don't ruin my hair!" Isidore shrieked. "How would you like it if I pulled _your_ hair?"

_And __a __catfight __ensues. _Lisette thought glumly to herself. Hermione visibly cringed at the volume they were going up to. Action needed to be taken before it went _too _far.

"Giselle!"

"Isidore!"

* * *

_Easter holidays came upon Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As a school, they had been through a lot together, with Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, to the Dementors having to guard Hogwarts, even during the Quidditch interhouse matches because of Black's escape._

_Many of the students had decided to stay at Hogwarts, most of the girls wanting to obtain a piece of the Beauxbatons exchange students, David Gilbert and the boys for Amelie Dupont, who seemed so Veela-like, so ethereal, so beautiful. A stark contrast though, was the fact that they both seemed so cold, David Gilbert being more human and warm-blooded because he was in Ravenclaw, a neutral house, which tended to sway towards the side of the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs, which endeared him more, to both the female and male students at Hogwarts. Even the Slytherin girls pined after him._

_Many remembered Valentine's Day that year being quite amusing for them, and chaotic and irritating for David, who had taken all of the events that had happened at school, mostly directed to him in stride. Many male students at Hogwarts, most notably being Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were amazed and in awe at how he could control situations and seem unfazed by it all. This was because David Gilbert had received few dozens of Valentine's Day cards, serenades by the dwarves and elves hired to specially sing songs for one's object of affections. Many of the cards were 'creative', and stood out amongst each other, like the seven colours of the rainbow. But somehow, they all seemed all the more ugly sitting next to each other on David's bedside dresser in the Ravenclaw Tower's third year boys' dormitory. David had managed to reject all of the girls after him, in a nice manner, without coming out as being rude or flippant, or even arrogant at all. The girls were evidently upset at the rejection, but many seemed to take all of it in stride. Some girls were extremely upset and were secretly hoping and hoping that he would 'see' them and pay attention, but he didn't seem at all affected by any of the activities around that were about him. Nevertheless, he was obviously flattered by all the attention he received, even though he was an exchange student. It didn't seem like any of the male students of Hogwarts had as many Valentine's Day songs and letters – not even Cedric Diggory, who was becoming quite the catch and of the Hogwarts heartthrobs._

_One student that did not stay at Hogwarts for the Easter weekend was Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin third year. He had gone home to spend some quality time with his mother and father, but his mother in particular._

_This little story that I'm about to tell you, is when both Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had gone out; Lucius to wherever he usually goes (Knockturn Alley, perhaps), Narcissa to one of her usual society tea parties. Draco, being the curious child he was, decided to wander about the manor. One place he was most curious about was his mother's 'office', situated at the corner of her special parlour that was especially built for her. He often wondered what offices looked like, his mother's in particular, and he often thought about what his mother did._

_Stealthily entering his mother's beloved parlour, he did not even stop to think about what he was doing, to remotely feel guilty about trespassing on his mother's treasured area where she spent a majority of her time in the manor after her priorities had been completed._

_The parlour was richly adorned with pearls and diamonds embroidered on velvet, the colour of red wine. Draco was aware of the fact that his mother's favourite colour was a deep red colour, for he knew that she loved the symbolism of what the colour red implied._

_Death. Love. Romance. Passion. Excitement. Anger. Energy. Danger. Ambition. Power._

_That's why he knew she loved red roses. They were red. In his eyes, they would always be known as his mother's favourite flowers.  
_

* * *

"Sirius Black?" The short, plump woman peered at the man who had appeared on her doorstep, her wand at the ready.

"Hiya Molly!" Sirius said cheerfully, not knowing how to approach the situation. Molly seemed a little nervous, for she glanced everywhere outside but him.

"Aren't you going to let me in, Mols?" Sirius asked, still using the same chipper tone. Molly broke out of her reverie, her tone and approach to this awkward situation was a business one, though she was a housewife at the Burrow.

_This __is __so __awkward_, she thought desperately to herself.

"Of course." She muttered, quickly ushering Sirius in and using a different approach that she knew best. "My, Sirius! Don't you look rather malnourished! Didn't the prison keepers at Azkaban provide food at all, in your thirteen years there?"

Sirius smiled weakly. "They did."

Molly tutted, obviously disappointed with his answer. "Well, you'll just have to gain some pounds here, won't you?"

Sirius laughed awkwardly, inwardly agreeing with his subconscious that he preferred it at his cousin's. He had inadvertently tuned her out, only hearing the last part of her ramblings.

"Well, I'll just have to make you some nice, warm soup to fatten you up – just for today, eh?"

* * *

Hermione sighed for the billionth time as she looked around the dormitory at three of the girls that she had gotten to know well in her time at the exchange programme. _How __it __has __changed_, she thought. The good and solid friendship between Gisele and Isidore had snapped, for the two girls were not speaking to each other at all. Not even a glance, let alone a glare, was even spared to each other. Gisele was doing Lisette's make up, but was getting a bit irritated with Lisette, for she was constantly jumping up and running towards her large pile of dresses that had been tossed on the floor.

Having just had a relaxing bath, making the best use of all of the best bathing salts and soaps in France, Hermione's hair was ready to be tweaked and tampered with, and so Isidore was doing it, as she was ready to go.

Lisette was attempting to make some conversation to fill the awkward silence as she rapidly sorted out through her dresses, the one that she had chose happened to not be very 'elegant', as she put it.

"Thanks Is." Hermione murmured in gratitude as Isidore put down her hair tweaking tools and stepped back, to admire her handiwork on her friend's hair.

"Impressed, Isidore!" Lisette praised. "Mia's ready now. The ball isn't for another hour, so you'll just have to do a Creasing Charm on your dress to keep it from crinkling and entertain yourself… for now."

Hermione sighed. "I did tell you that I'd be ready an hour early."

"Just find something to do, Mia." Isidore smiled as she expertly applied some make up to her own face.

* * *

_He did not feel guilty about going through his mother's drawers at all. He used an Anti-Detection Charm on the office so that his mother would not know about his snooping. Hopefully. Just for good measure, Draco used a spell to make everything go back to its place after he had looked and had left the room._

_He noticed that all the drawers were so deep, that it did not seem to end. The first drawer he rummaged through contained the bills, receipts and the wizarding cheques that Narcissa used to pay for monthly costs. There should not have been very many, but due to the Malfoys' extreme generosity and the fact that the drawer probably had a strong and sturdy extension charm on it, and that the bills had been accumulating throughout the years may have resulted in this._

_He scrimmaged through the drawers, knowing that his mother would not be back from the society party for a few hours and also feeling a sense of thrill in spying. Just like the muggle movies._

_More and more rummaging resulted through the seconds passing by, making a mess of each drawer. Luckily, he had placed that spell to make everything go back into their places and order. He knew that his mother was extremely meticulous, clean and tidy and for one little thing out of place… he knew trouble would ensue as she would viciously erupt like the lava exploding from the volcano._

_Then, he arrived at that last drawer._

* * *

All the constant worrying that had suddenly sprung upon her, she knew was too much. Too much for her, too much for the Dementors. But she didn't care at all. She knew that needed to _feel _something, do something, just to pass her time. She knew she couldn't think about Rudolphus, let alone her precious Lord, who was dead. She knew that she'd probably end up crying and crying some more, until her soul was too weak and would be sucked out… with the Dementor's Kiss. She knew she had to survive, somehow and see the world for it was. She knew that she had to admit that the world had been a much better place – through threatening and stealing other people's issues of the Daily Prophet and Wiz-News.

The letter she had sent to Narcissa; she knew it would have made her favourite and _only_sister unsettled. She knew this instinctively… but she didn't know why. She missed Mia, Draco… heck, she even missed her disowned sister, the black sheep of their family, Andromeda.

She remembered everything so clearly, so vividly… she recalled begging Andromeda to stay behind to marry Lucius, only for that to end up in Narcissa marrying him. Blacks never begged nor pleaded; yet she broke much of the protocol and the rules in the supposed pureblood manual that day. Everybody did. Her mother, her father, Narcissa, even Lucius! She knew that she would probably never forgive her for marrying Ted Tonks, but was also aware of the fact that it was probably as a result of fate and destiny.

Destiny, fate. They were so similar.

Were they the only things that stood in between her and her pathway to greatness and power?

* * *

Blaise let out a hearty chuckle. "Who knew you could clean up so nicely... and for a girl?" He teased. Adrien glared at him. He knew that Blaise somehow knew who his date was, and was teasing him about it.

"You're just jealous." Adrien retaliated, quickly dismissing the issue.

"Yeah... and I know how to speak Hippogriff." Blaise said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "Why should I be jealous of _your_date? You know I can do better than you."

Adrien scoffed.

"Besides, I have a date." Blaise added, to keep the situation light hearted, instead of being awkward.

"Yeah, and I've passionately kissed a house elf." Adrien looked at Blaise pointedly.

"Really? I didn't know that. Actually, I didn't want to know. Well, I was being serious about the date!" Blaise defended himself. "I'm going with Isidore."

Adrien could only let out a loud and boisterous guffaw.

* * *

"Ready." It was all Gisele could say. The girls each heaved heavy and nervous breaths full of nerves and anxiety; in and out, to ease their nervousness and tried to mentally prepare for the ball.

It wasn't long until the girls had reached the top of the long staircase, downstairs was where everybody was waiting for their dates, or maybe just to see their friends, or possibly to see how other people looked on this special night.

The lights had dimmed for the evening, to suit the romantic mood that was circulating around. Soft music was already playing, weaving through the romantic mood in the air, together with something exciting that everyone could anticipate for what was ahead for that evening.

Hermione daintily put a hand to the gold railing, a guide to prevent her from falling over as she inwardly flinched at the cold metal that she felt, surge through her fingertips. Slowly and elegantly walking down, it seemed like she was in a happy dream, or that she was in one of those muggle fairytale stories, feeling like a princess, but only just for the night.

* * *

He knew he had been right. But his dreams clearly had not matched up to how beautiful she looked tonight. Indeed, he had been looking forward to this, to see her looking elegant and beautiful, even more so than she usually was.

She was evidently glancing around the room for him, and clearly could not see him. He walked towards her, smiling charmingly.

"May I?" He held out a gloved hand for her to take. She took it gently, and he led her into the ballroom for an evening of dancing and excitement.

Lisette glanced around the ballroom that had become a garden in awe and wonder. True to her word, Madame Maxime had promised a night of extravagance, and it was all in honour of the exchange students! There were lights that flashed from an intimate and loving pink colour to an exuberant and radiant yellow. It was all very romantic, for the ballroom had been transformed into a romantic garden setting under the midnight sky, complete with stars shining like the most expensive and sparkling diamond in the world. Weaving through the ceiling were the vines that finished off the garden vibe. As for the ballroom dance floor surface, grass and flowers had been 'planted' to add to this garden-setting feel.

Further inside the ballroom, was a choir of male and female wood nymphs dressed in colour coded suits and dresses, an orchestra of house elves, dwarves and leprechauns tinkering away at their instruments... everything had been impeccably planned.

The tables had also been transfigured and transformed into circular tables that were covered with embroidered floral table cloths, to suit the mood and to make conversation more intimate and personal for all of the students and staff that needed to unwind from the stress of learning and teaching.

Many students had already arrived into the ballroom. They were already sitting at their allocated tables, eager and anticipating what was to happen next.

Lisette had not noticed this, but soon, Madame Maxime was announcing the names of the exchange students. Everyone clapped cheerfully and politely for the students that had come from Hogwarts and Durmstrang, the people that they had become close to in the past several months that they had been at Beauxbatons.

"Blaise Zabini!"

"Hermione Granger!" Lisette smiled when she saw Hermione, but her smile froze in surprise when she saw who her escort was.

Sly eyebrows raised in mischief, _No __wonder __why __Hermione __didn't __want __to __tell __me __about __her __date. __She __denied __it __on __the __day __I __asked __her! __Of __course, __I __knew __this __all __along. __They __like __each __other! __It's __so __obvious!_

"Catalina Domenico!"

"Patrick Santo!"

Madame Maxime paused to let the volume of the applause fall down a little, until she spoke once more. "Let the ball begin!"

* * *

He had gone to get some fruit punch and butterbeer, leaving Hermione to stand there, to entertain herself by just gazing at the people. She was so lost in her thoughts, so lost in gazing at how lovely everybody looked that evening -

"Mia!" A voice whispered from behind. Hermione jumped in surprise, but she knew who it was.

"Lilli! Don't scare me like that!" She spoke rapidly, evidently a little frightened by the scare.

"So... as your good friend at Beauxbatons, Mia... I'm going to let you off easy, because he _is_good looking... but why did you not tell me about him being your date?" Lisette hissed loudly, but not loud enough for the surrounding people to hear. She was clearly a bit insulted with Hermione's decision to omit this juicy little piece of information.

Hermione stayed silent, for she was slightly sheepish. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Well, you should be." Lisette said with a hurt voice that Hermione knew wouldn't last long. "At least he likes you. And I can gauge by your smiley expression that you like him too."

Hermione blushed, her cheeks as red as red roses. "I don't." She denied.

Lisette huffed. "You know I'm right. You're just denying your feelings. It's obvious he's liked you from the beginning – when you first arrived at Beauxbatons."

"Hi Lissy!" A familiar voice called.

"Adrien!" Lisette greeted warmly. "Don't call me that. Why didn't you tell me that you asked Mia to the ball?"

_At __least __he __has __the __decency __to __look __embarrassed_, Lisette thought.

"Mia, would you like to dance?" Adrien asked hastily, wanting to get away from Lisette quickly, yet he also managed to seem charming at the same time. Hermione accepted, but not before catching the naughty grin from Lisette and she rolled her eyes as she turned away.

* * *

"I didn't know you were such a good dancer, Adrien." Hermione complimented as they danced.

He chuckled. "My dancing was always eclipsed by yours and Blaise's."

Hermione glanced down shyly, her modesty overriding the extreme pleasure she felt from his compliment.

Then the small talk began. The weather, the decor of the ballroom... anything one could name.

"I was just curious about something. This morning... did you really _sneak__out__of__your__dorm_to go down to the breakfast hall to _eat_?" He asked, clearly intrigued.

Hermione blinked at him, wondering how he obtained that piece of information.

"Blaise told me." Adrien added, seeing the expression on her face.

"No." Hermione shook her head as she gazed at him pointedly, the wheels of her mind whirring rapidly, trying to solve the 'mystery' quickly. "You were there!" She accused.

His eyes squinted in amusement as he shook his head. "How would you know?"

"That's because I don't know anybody that talks like you, just like the weirdo with Blaise that saw me this morning."

"You are too clever for your own good." Adrien laughed.

* * *

_Some hours later..._

Hermione had danced with every male student in attendance. Pleasure had gone to her head like wine, from all the dancing and the excitement of the night, though she was not old enough to drink alcohol yet.

"Would you like to save the last dance for me, Mia?" A voice asked from behind. Hermione smiled, instantly recognising it.

"Of course I would love to, Adrien." She smiled brightly as her gloved hand took his gloved hand.

* * *

They had strolled back to the L'Etoile Tower together, arm in arm.

"I really enjoyed this evening." Adrien managed to say when they had arrived at the entrance of the Tower.

"I did too. It was wonderful." Hermione smiled demurely. "Thank you for asking me to the ball."

"I wanted to take you. Don't fret over it." He reassured her, for he had plenty of choice over who to take to the ball, but ended up choosing to escort Hermione, for he had liked her since the moment he saw her.

They stood in an awkward silence, staring anywhere but each other.

"Well, I better get going then." Hermione giggled awkwardly as she turned to enter the Tower.

She had one foot inside the L'Etoile Tower when –

"Mia, wait."

Hermione stopped and turned around hesitantly. "Yes, Adrien?"

He said nothing; but he took her hand and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for making this night, so enjoyable," he whispered.

* * *

_The last drawer only contained one piece of parchment, old and worn out. He wondered curiously as to why his mother would so conspicuously; only put one piece of parchment with all the space there was in the drawer there. He had the feeling that it was something important that was personal, private to his beloved mother that he could not resist in taking a glance and reading. Gingerly taking the parchment from its position in the drawer, he began reading it._

_He had been reading the frayed and yellowed parchment with avid interest, reading each word, each sentence cautiously, carefully. He recognised the parchment's distinct handwriting of somebody he knew... all too well. After reading it cautiously, keeping an ear for sounds of his mother returning home, he put the parchment down and back into the drawer, slowly._

_He heard the door downstairs open. His mother was back. He knew that he had to leave immediately. Still deep in his thoughts as to what he had just uncovered, but aware of his surroundings, he deactivated the spells he had put on the office, removed his fingerprints from everything he had touched, and stealthily tiptoed out of the office, using all the anti detection charms he knew._

_All he knew was that he had to get to the bottom of this. He simply had to know._

* * *

**What has D found out? Give me all your guesses, speculation and predictions – I want to know.**

**Xoxo.**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. More drama is coming your way.**

* * *

He shivered. He didn't remember this being nearly as cold. Perhaps it was just the visitors' room or the fact that he was younger at the time – he didn't understand then. He had arrived willingly; on his own, and he knew he had to deal with it. He couldn't back out now.

THUMP. THUMP.

"Who are they?" A girl whispered.

"I thought that one couldn't Apparate into school grounds. How is that possible?"

THUMP. THUMP.

**More reviews for Ms Smiles please!**


	16. The Last Dance

_**Chapter Fifteen: The Last Dance**_

**The sun is up, the birds are singing, the sky is blue and the grass is green. There is a smell of fresh baguettes and croissants from the boulangerie, imported directly from France every day. Weaved together like an intricate braid is the familiar smell of delicious but gourmet home cooking, it's all here, on the Upper Wizarding Street. Delicious and yummy! We all know who will be having the scrumptious breakfast _this_ morning.**

**Now, we all know that nothing is this perfect. Something seems to be going on, but _what_? You'll just have to wait and see what's in store for you today. And a jolly good morning to you all, for we all know that something's bound to go wrong – these kind of perfect days don't exist in our world.**

**But first, we must all enjoy our breakfasts – there's no use in finding out some juicy gossip on an empty stomach!**

* * *

"No romantic displays of affection then?" Lisette asked disappointedly the next day, during breakfast.

"Lilli, we're not going out. He only just asked me to the ball yesterday. There's nothing else happening." Hermione murmured, rolling her eyes at the umpteenth question of the day from Lisette.

_I wish something was to happen between us though._

"But you two looked so cute together last night!" Isidore squealed. Gisele could only agree. Their fight had yet to be resolved, but they seemed to be conversing quite normally. "I mean, are you not telling us something, Mia?"

"You really do look like a couple, Mia." Giselle added, as though nothing had happened between her and Isidore last night.

Four heads turned to gaze at the Le Ciel table, where Adrien and Blaise were sitting together, chatting quietly to themselves with Eric.

"The girls are staring at you." Eric commented, glancing covertly at the L'Etoile table. Sneaking a cool glance around the room, his eyes landed on Lisette, Hermione, Isidore and Gisele, who had started making conversation once more, pretending they hadn't been gawping at the boys just now.

"I see." He could only say. "I'm sure they're talking about what happened last night between Adrien and Mia."

Adrien glanced up so quickly and his face was red. Eric laughed at his friend's expression.

"You've got it bad, dude." Blaise chuckled. Adrien swallowed his bite of toast, and smiled, though it came out as a grimace. "You like her."

"Don't be so embarrassed! If I must say, I think the lady fancies the man too." Eric said in a posh voice. "Go for her."

"Shut up." Adrien could only say, for he was quite embarrassed. "There's nothing between us."

* * *

"Excuse me, Madame Dupont. Would you mind if Monsieur Zabini and Mademoiselle Granger be excused from the rest of your class? Madame Maxime requires their presence immediately in her office." The messenger said timidly, for he seemed to be afraid of Madame Dupont.

"Of course, Thomas." She smiled. "Monsieur Zabini, Mademoiselle Granger? If you would pack your things. You will not be returning to class, so the homework –"

Many of the male students in the class groaned. Madame Dupont could only glare at them in exasperation as she continued explaining to the students that were going to see the Headmistress about the homework. The laziness of some of the male students was simply appalling!

* * *

Harry blinked. "What?"

"You've got to be joking." Neville whispered quietly, clearly amused at the strange scene that had unravelled in front of him. "Is she mad?"

"He's _gone_!" Nina bawled, for buckets and buckets of tears were streaming out of her eyes. Jenny, another Gryffindor, could only roll her eyes in exasperation.

"He took the longest in saying goodbye to _you_, compared to the other girls." Jenny said bluntly, trying her best to not roll her eyes again. "Therefore, I do not understand why you are so upset about it. He obviously likes you a lot. You know, there are such things as long distance relationships."

Nina could only bawl louder, evidently hurt from Jenny's blunt words, which were in fact, true. Ginny glared at Jenny, for her brusque and direct nature did not help matters. Jenny could only shrug in confusion as Ginny hugged the sobbing girl in comfort.

"There, there, Nini. David did promise to Owl you, didn't he?" Ginny said in a comforting voice. "You could always write to him first."

Soon, her sobs subsided, and many people in the Gryffindor common room could only sigh with relief, for the noise had dissipated away, and they could chat to each other in peace. Oh, the drama at Hogwarts was never too far away!

* * *

"You may be wondering as to why I have asked for your presence here today." Madame Maxime began in a solemn voice.

"Nothing has happened at Hogwarts... right?" Hermione couldn't help but interrupt her in a worried tone. Although Blaise's expression was a neutral one, he was also just as concerned as Hermione, if not even more.

"There hasn't." Madame Maxime said, and she noticed that both students' shoulders slumped with relief.

"But..."

Hermione's eyes widened and Blaise's eyes narrowed just slightly...

"_No_!"

* * *

_The next day..._

"This way please, young sir. To the left, then two rights, and straight down." The man instructed. The boy merely nodded and began the journey down the corridor.

Slowly walking down the long, dark and narrow corridor, he stopped. He wondered whether he should just not bother with this ridiculous idea he had and just go home. He shivered. He didn't remember this place being nearly as cold before. Perhaps it was just the visitors' room or the fact that he was younger at the time when he had come – he didn't understand anything then. He had arrived willingly; on his own, and he knew he had to deal with it. He couldn't regret his decision to come. He couldn't back out now.

Inwardly sighing, his feet began shuffling to the pathway on the second right, as he nervously composed his expression to that of a cool and collected mask. He had waited so long, and knew that he needed this trip, badly and desperately.

He cringed and shuddered when he heard howling from inside. _Just __what __have __these __people __been __subjected __to? __Do __they __really __deserve __it? It's inhumane!_

_Yes, _he thought. It was the Azkaban prison he was visiting, after all. Dementors and all these ugly creatures swarming around you. It was the price that one paid for being a criminal.

Draco vowed never to cross the law; but to abide by it, so that he would never have to stay in this dark and desolate place. He could only begin to regret the reason as to why he had come, but knew that to obtain more of the information, he would have to come to visit someone whom he had despised and feared since he was young.

Best not to mention their name yet.

* * *

Narcissa sat in her parlour, reflective over what had happened over the years... ever since Draco and Mia were born, thirteen years ago.

Gazing with a wistful smile, out of the open window, she wondered if she had made the right choices in her life. If she and Lucius were right in sending Mia to Alan and Emily's home. If she was right in letting Andromeda leave, run away and marry Ted Tonks. She knew there were good points and bad points, regarding this matter, but it was for her protection. Mia would understand, wouldn't she? She hoped she would.

She wondered if Andy was doing well (at least she hoped she was), for she had not seen her for a long time, due to conflicting schedules and she wondered how that darling Nymphadora, her only niece, was doing. She didn't count the children of Lucius's brother and sisters, Lucan, Lucille and Luciana, for they were not connected to her by blood. Nymph was, though. She tried to see her niece every now and then, and sometimes, they even met up for afternoon tea, together with Ted and Andy.

She wondered how Mia was, how she was doing at Hogwarts. Oh, there were just so many questions. Narcissa never dared to ask Lucius as to how he was feeling about this situation, for she knew that both of them would be sad and unhappy, and life had to move on, even without their most precious daughter.

The sky was a beautiful blue colour, with clouds decorating it, the shape of feathers. The sun was shining, as brightly as ever, and the bluebirds were singing the most melodious of tunes. Narcissa sighed with bliss – this was the life she wished to have, with her family united together.

Life was just not perfect for everyone. This was the common desire of a mother - a perfect life with her husband and children together.

* * *

"Who's there?" A husky voice screeched, like the scratching of nails on a muggle classroom blackboard. The voice had evidently not been used for a long, long time. Draco could only cringe at the sound.

Draco cautiously stepped into the prison corridor and knew the person he sought was in the first 'cage'. The voice screeched even more. He stepped closer and closer, towards the metal bars that had many strong charms around, careful not to be too close, and had a good look inside.

Unruly and matted dark hair stuck to their sweating face, their face had narrowed immensely since he last came, arms were bony, and skin... was not like it used to be – it was pale and pallid, just like Professor Snape's, as a result from the lack of sunlight.

Azkaban had made this person... even more a lunatic. Anyone wish to hazard a guess as to who this is?

"You." The thin person said grouchily, forcefully turning away from him. "Go away. I don't want to see you."

* * *

"Bill! Charlie! LUNCH!" The short and plump woman hollered. Sirius flinched at the sound and very much preferred it at Narcissa's home, even though Lucius was living there.

He was sitting at the small wooden table, waiting for the obviously delicious lunch to be levitated to the table.

"Hello Uncle Sirius." Bill and Charlie both chorused together in greeting to Sirius, in their respective gruff and masculine tones.

Bill and Charlie were back from their respective jobs; Bill, who was back from the curse breaking in Egypt and Charlie from the caretaking and handling of dragons in Romania.

Although Molly was not particularly fond of Sirius, she wanted her sons to get to know him, so that they'd quickly settle down, take a wife and marry, and then have her beloved and much longed for grandchildren. This was because of his notorious but legendary womanising back at Hogwarts, and she secretly wanted her eldest boys to take just a _small_ leaf from his book.

There was silence at the table, as the five people ate the scrumptious food in ecstasy, wanting more and more of Molly Weasley's delicious cooking.

"So, Uncle. Have you been pranking as of late?" Bill asked, with a very curious tone to his voice. Molly could only roll her eyes in exasperation as the men enthusiastically spoke of new ideas for mischief, jokes and pranks.

* * *

"Auntie." He greeted cheerfully. "How are you? I trust you've been well?"

"You want something, I know it. Malfoys always want _something_. I don't want to talk to _you_." The thin woman said, with a forceful edge to her voice. Draco inwardly shuddered at the power that her mere presence radiated.

The boy stood and the woman sat on the ground in her prison cell in silence, not knowing what to say. Finally, he could only give up, for he tired of hearing only silence and nothing else. Everybody was asleep, though they were probably _not_very comfortable, for it was a prison, after all.

"Look, Aunt Bella." Draco whispered, beginning to feel slightly frustrated, but he masked this. "I'm a visitor, you can't verbally abuse me. I'm your nephew! And since I'm the only visitor you've had in a _very__long__time_, you should be grateful that somebody is _even_visiting _you._ Besides, I just want to know one thing."

She interrupted him. "See! I _did__tell__you_that Malfoys _always_want _something_. You're just like Lucius."

Draco's eyes flashed, but it quickly subsided, for purebloods never showed their emotions to anybody, not even to those who were close to them. "I am _not __at __all _like my father."

"Oh, really?" Her eyes flashed with a fire, meaning she was challenging him.

He sighed inwardly. _This __was __going __to __take __longer __than __I __thought __it __would._

* * *

"Please... could you just _stop _staring at him?" Isidore pleaded, evidently sick and tired of the googly eyes and romantic (if not on the borderline of stalking!) staring between Hermione and Adrien. "I thought you said there was _nothing _between you!"

"Don't be so jealous, Is. It's rather romantic to me," Lisette commented, clearly entranced by the smiles of affection and fancy between her two friends.

"I'm not staring," Hermione said distractedly, frantically looking for her notes, having glanced away from Adrien for just a moment. "Like I said, and what you said just now, there's nothing."

Gisele glanced at her pointedly. "Mia... it's called, being on the borderline... of stalking."

"Shut up, G. I wasn't stalking anybody. It's only in your imagination."

* * *

"Thank you, Auntie. It was most informative." Draco said formally.

Bellatrix could only roll her eyes. "You are just like Lucius." She taunted.

Draco flinched outwardly, and Bellatrix caught this.

"_Aha_! So you admit it!"

"I'll see you when you get out of Azkaban, Auntie." He sighed, calling back, as he walked along the corridor back to the entrance.

_Hopefully that isn't for a long time._

* * *

"Today, we shall learn 'The Last Dance'."

A majority of the school had turned up to learn this dance, for it was one of the compulsory and most important dances that had to be learned in time for balls, formal events and other things. "It is a traditional dance at Beauxbatons. Mademoiselle Baudelaire, you have an explanation, I believe?"

Lisette smiled, proud and honoured about the fact that her teacher had specifically chosen her to explain to a majority of the school about such a prestigious thing. "'The Last Dance', is a traditional dance at Beauxbatons, especially created by two of the founders of our school during the Wizarding Founders' era, Algernon Pelletier and Emmeline Lefevre, when they left the school temporarily to go on their honeymoon. It was a way for the people who remained at the school to remember those who left."

"Excellent explanation, Mademoiselle Baudelaire. And now, we must elaborate upon the graceful and poised techniques of this dance." Madame Charpentier continued.

After the long and tedious task of listening to Madame Charpentier had passed by, everybody knew what would happen next.

"Monsieur Zabini and Mademoiselle Granger, please take your positions in the middle of the room?"

Nobody was surprised by this, for they could only heartily applaud the two exchange students, who had begun to stand up to take their places. Many had gotten to know these two Hogwarts students reasonably well, and so therefore they were reasonably popular within the French school. Hermione daintily stood up, and walked gracefully to the middle of the room to meet Blaise, who was smirking at her.

"Don't smirk please?" Hermione looked at Blaise with wary eyes, eyes which also had a twinkle of amusement in them.

"I couldn't."

"Well, try your best not to, then."

"I shan't."

"Monsieur Zabini and Mademoiselle Granger – if you would please stop your chattering! The music is starting and you must count the beats so you can begin!"

Hermione could only cringe and blush in embarrassment. Blaise smirked at his dance partner's embarrassment, for he found it amusing to observe.

* * *

"Where have you been, Draco?" A voice came from out of nowhere. Draco jumped slightly, scared that somebody had told on him to his mother or his father, or even both.

"I went to Theo's house. He says hello." Draco muttered, mentally noting to himself that he needed to tell _somebody_about his current predicament.

Narcissa seemed to accept this and 'hmmed' in response. Draco let out a relieved breath that he didn't know he'd been holding.

Theo was the perfect candidate for the job. He had to tell somebody about this situation, and be able to trust them fully. As Blaise was still at the exchange programme, he would have to tell only Theo, for if Blaise was there, he would tell both of them.

He only hoped that he didn't sound _too _prissy about it.

* * *

Although they were supposed to be dancing the Last Dance, there was a change of pace, pitch and tone as Madame Charpentier had requested the four dancers to improvise a dance as they went along.

"Monsieur Laroche, Mademoiselle Delacour?" Madame Charpentier called to her former best dancers, who were the best before Blaise and Hermione arrived at Beauxbatons. She waved her wand, murmuring a spell at the four dancers, much to the curiosity to some members of the audience who noticed.

Everybody (save for Blaise and Hermione, who were both covertly glancing to what was happening) stared as Eric stood up and elegantly made his way to Fleur. She took his hand as he gently pulled her to a standing position, twirling her twice at the same time. Eric and Fleur danced around the grand ballroom, and then –

People seated in the audience were in for spectacular performance from the dancers, as Fleur and Hermione were hoisted up into the air by their respective dancing partners...

The two girls; one blonde, one brunette, one straight haired and the other curly, pirouetted whilst they were still in the air, managing to do many twists, turns and flips... and they even landed directly in front of the other male dancer (Hermione to Eric, Fleur to Blaise).

Hermione was flushed from putting all her effort into the dance as she twirled to a dance that she and Eric were improvising... on the spot.

Some more twisting, turning and some 360 degree gymnastics flips in the air ensued, Hermione and Fleur returned back to their respective partners, to complete the final part of the Last Dance.

The audience 'oohed' and 'aahed', as they witnessed this amazing display of dancing. Expectations were to the sky for these four students. But they all knew that this meant Madame Charpentier had high hopes and goals for what they would achieve during the lesson.

Twirl. Step. Step. Twirl. Step. Dip.

With the final note of the song lingering in the air, emphasising a tone of finality, the four dancers stood in the middle of the ballroom floor, panting slightly, but did not seem to be sweating the slightest. Lisette suspected that Madame Charpentier casted a non-sweating charm before the intense bit of the impressive dancing occurred.

The whole ballroom gave a hearty sound of applause as they clapped loudly to emphasise their appreciation of the four students who had just produced an amazing display of almost-professional dancing.

"Very impressive, you four." Madame Charpentier nodded, smiling at the four students who had just bowed (and curtsied, in Hermione and Fleur's case).

The curtseying brought back some funny but embarrassing moments to the beginning of the exchange for Hermione, for Madame Charpentier had taught the female students how to curtsey properly. She smiled, amused by the memory.

"_Mademoiselle __Granger, __you __must __bend __your __back more__! __It's __not __a __curtsey __if __you __don't __do __that!" __Madame __Charpentier's __voice __was __becoming __more __and __more __hoarse, __the __hoarseness __coming __from her frustration at her students, at having to repeatedly say what she wanted them to do. They were just not quite understanding her instructions today. _

_Evidently aware of how many times she had to repeat herself, the etiquette and dance teacher took matters into her own hands. Placing a hand on Hermione's stomach and the other on her head, she forcefully bent Hermione's stiff posture to curtsey lower._

_Hermione could only wince at the forcefulness of the teacher, but knew that for the teacher to have such irritating students like herself, the students who almost always failed at the art of French etiquette._

_She sighed. Only Lisette noticed this. "What's wrong, Mia?" She asked sympathetically, as if to say that she understood what Hermione was thinking and feeling._

"_I'm __such __a __failure __at __these __lessons. __They're __just __not __for __me. __Maybe__ Monsieur __was __right in saying that __I'm __not __all __that __all-rounded."_

_Lisette could only roll her eyes at Hermione evidently trying to dig herself a pool of self-pity, where she could wallow in it on her own. "Don't wallow in your self-pity. You should have more self esteem. It would do you wonders." Lisette reprimanded. "It's called perseverance. Lots and lots of practice will get you to where you want to be."_

"_How __long __did __you __spend __perfecting __your __curtsey, __Lilli?" __Hermione __could __only __ask, __for __she __was __ashamed __by __her __self-pitying __behaviour._

"_Years." __Lisette __could __only __say, __as __she __looked __at __any __spot __in __the __room, __but __at __Mia. __"You're __doing __much __better __than __I __was __when __I __was __four."  
_

* * *

"So what's wrong _now_?" Theo sighed, stressing and emphasising upon the last word. "You've been such a _girl _lately."

"There's nothing wrong with me, you know!" Draco said, a pitch too high compared to his usual voice.

"Right..." Theo rolled his eyes. "So what is wrong?" He repeated.

_The __worst __person __to __tell __secrets __to. _He thought. _Why __isn't __Blaise __here?_

Draco sighed. "Well..."

* * *

"Of course." They muttered together in unison. Glancing towards each other, to see if the other was ready, they nodded together.

The woman gestured to the small object on the table, to which the boy and girl took, earnestly and gratefully smiling at the woman, who nodded and spoke to them reassuringly.

And whoosh.

* * *

A silence had wedged between them, for the other boy was too shocked to say anything.

Draco waved a hand in front of Theo, disbelieving the fact that his friend would actually be _shocked _about anything. "Hello? Anybody at home?"

Seeming to break out of his trance, Theo sat up, eyes bright and alert. "Yes, I am at home." He retorted.

"So what do you think?" Draco sat back on his armchair.

"We should make a list."

"How on earth would _that _help?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Logical elimination." Theo merely said, as he took out a wad of parchment and one of his expensive eagle feathered quills from his bag.

* * *

"NEVILLE! Do hurry up, won't you?" Ron bellowed up the male dormitory staircase. "I'm starving!"

Harry could only glance at his friend in amusement, while Parvati could only tsk with disgust. "The typical male student at Hogwarts." She muttered to Lavender, loud enough for Ron to hear. "Only thinking about his food."

Clearly having fallen for Parvati's trap, he retorted indignantly, "I do not only just think about food!"

"Prove it!" Parvati taunted teasingly. Ron hmphed as he crossed his arms.

"Coming, Ronald! Honestly, don't you ever think about anything _but_your food? It's not going to run away, you know." Neville huffed as he rushed down the stairs.

Parvati could only give Ron a smug look of triumph and Harry couldn't smother his laughter.

* * *

THUMP. THUMP.

"Who are they?" A girl whispered.

"I thought that one couldn't Apparate into school grounds. How is that possible?"

The Hogwarts students were beginning to file into the Great Hall, expecting the usual feast that they had every night.

It wasn't long until the hall was full of chattering students, and Professor Dumbledore made his usual end of term speech. Gryffindor had won, just like the past two years. There was a loud applause, but most of the deafening noise came from the Gryffindor table, who were celebrating a victorious year. Even Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor Head of House, was projecting a rare smile for all to see.

It was time for the feast.

And then came the unexpected knock on the door.

Every pair of eyes, belonging to both students and professors alike, glanced in irritation towards the door, for these guests were interrupting their dinner. This was because nobody was allowed to have dinner if guests arrived. Not even the Headmaster himself.

"Come in," Professor Dumbledore called.

* * *

She blearily opened her eyes, exhausted from the day's events. Glancing around, checking whether the site was safe, she realised she was back and felt immensely happy. Then she instinctively looked to the side, where he was unconscious. Sighing, she knew she could only wake him up first before doing anything.

"Wake up." She muttered, tapping his shoulders gently. After a few goes, it didn't seem as though he would wake up at all. She sighed once more, until she saw his lips twitching.

And she slapped him, hard. He sobered up.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He muttered worriedly. "They're having their feast. It's rude to interrupt."

She laughed. "I've never heard you sound so tense! Besides, I think they're expecting us. I'd better knock on the door."

She walked up to the door and tapped lightly on the door. He rolled his eyes, clearly not wanting to anticipate what was to happen next.

"Breathe in, breathe out." She muttered in reassurance to him.

The door glowed, and they heard a familiar voice say,

"Come in."

She took a heavy breath and had an impassive expression on her face.

"Ready?" She asked.

"It's now or never." He muttered.

"Professor Dumbledore!" She greeted brightly as she walked slowly down the pathway, her blue silk robes billowing about her. "Professors and students of Hogwarts. It's wonderful to see you all again. We apologise for interrupting your feast, but we've come back a week _earlier_than planned."

By now, although nobody was eating at all, nobody felt hungry. They were just all busy ogling at the two guests that had arrived.

"She looks like a Veela." Susa whispered jealously. "She's so beautiful."

"She walks so gracefully..." Eva started, in awe of the girl striding proudly with the boy along the pathway in between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.

"And her nose is up in the air..." Padma continued, her eyes wide.

"It can't be..." Susa muttered, already feeling regretful and remorseful for her evident jealousy.

* * *

_Poof! Poof!_

Two people, a boy and a girl, cloaked in dark robes, materialised from nowhere. The boy and the girl wearing the blue silk robes stopped abruptly, peering down at the two people who had just appeared from out of thin air. The dark robed girl's eyes fluttered open at the same time as the boy's.

She helped the girl on the floor up, at the same time as when he helped the boy on the floor up.

"It's really nice to see you again." She said, smiling.

"You too." The dark robed girl smiled.

The clearing of the throat. The blue silk robed girl apologised profusely as she walked with long strides towards the Hogwarts Headmaster, who waved his hand dismissively at the rest of the school, only for the whole school to collapse into chatter.

"It's lovely to see you again, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore greeted the best witch in her year, who was wearing blue silk robes, warmly. Hermione blushed at the compliment.

The other three students, the blue silk robed boy obviously being Blaise, and the dark robed boy and girl being Darren Ivey and Ina Evanston joined Hermione at the Staff table.

"We come with gifts." Hermione smiled to all of the Professors, including her favourite one, Professor McGonagall.

"They're presenting _gifts_to the professors? Even one for Professor Snape?" Ron asked incredulously. "Why don't _we_get any?"

Ginny only rolled her eyes at her brother's blatant stupidity. "Ron, don't be so stupid."

This time, it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes.

"You four should join your respective house tables." Professor Dumbledore said.

"May I go to the Gryffindor table first?" Hermione asked earnestly. She promptly received a nod as a reply from the Headmaster.

Hermione rushed down the small set of steps that led to the Staff table, and rushed towards where her good friends at the Gryffindor table were sitting.

"Ginny! Harry! Ron! Neville!"

* * *

"Why is that beautiful girl rushing towards our table?" Ginny voiced aloud in a curious tone.

"Ginny! Harry! Ron! Neville!"

"Well, she obviously knows you." Harry said in reply.

"And you." Neville responded.

"'Mione?" Ginny asked incredulously, blinking several times, as she was clearly in disbelief at the fact that her friend was back. Hermione squealed as she hugged her Gryffindor friend tightly, only to be joined by Jenny, Lavender and Parvati.

Although they were a little gossipy, they were still Hermione's friends and when she first met them, Hermione knew that she would have to overlook their flaws to make more friends.

And she did.

"How are you, Hermione?"

"Where did you get those beautiful robes?"

"Do give us a twirl in them!"

* * *

"Hey dude." Draco and Theo chorused in unison as they stood up together, and clapped a one-armed hug on their friend.

Blaise also greeted the other students sitting at the Slytherin table. And he noted with his excellent observational skills that the girls seemed to be… _staring _at him.

"How are you?"

And they proceeded to bombard their friend with questions.

* * *

After greeting pretty much the whole Gryffindor table, Hermione decided to return to her House table.

"'Ne!" Three voices chorused together as Hermione reached the Ravenclaw table. Everybody within vicinity of the Ravenclaw table was ogling at the girl who had just arrived. Hermione was smothered with hugs and squeals of delight from her best friends, Eva, Padma and Susa.

Padma and Susa gave loud squeals and shrieks as they hugged their friend, asking many, many questions. Hermione only smiled, her eyes clearly an indicator as to how happy she was to see her friends.

The last quarter of the Ravenclaw Quartet was back. Hogwarts would be the same again.

* * *

**Looks like it's a happily ever after for our Hogwarts friends. B and H have returned in style. What has D told T? What do you guys and girls think?**

**Xoxo.**

**Gossip Girl  
**

* * *

_Next time..._

She gasped, her breath hitching in her throat. Even under the glamour charm, she was blooming with beauty, beauty that was about to be at its most ripe.

"Mother, what's wrong?" He asked.

* * *

His grey eyes sweeping up and down the seats that the other man had bought for the match... and at the guests that Arthur Weasley had with him. His eyes stopped roving when he caught sight of her.


	17. Rise Of The Emerald Green

_**Chapter Sixteen: Rise of the Emerald Green**_

**Good morning to you all on the Upper Wizarding Street tuning in today, Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the juicy and exciting lives of the wizards and witches at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world.**

**A new year at Hogwarts shall be beginning on the First of September. But until then? We shall all be seated (the elite Box, mind you!) at the Wizarding Arena, watching the live match between Ireland and Bulgaria... the Quidditch World Cup final and the yummy Viktor Krum!**

**But speaking of yummy, I must get to eat my breakfast. We'll all be there... in approximately three hours, six minutes and nine seconds.**

* * *

"This is Amos Diggory, and I believe you all know his son, Cedric?" Mr Weasley said, shaking hands with friend from the Ministry for Magic.

Everyone (Fred & George, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Hermione) nodded at Diggory senior, and smiled (politely in the boys' cases, for they still did not forgive him for _that _Quidditch incident last year) at Cedric.

"'Mione! I trust you're well?" Cedric asked, grinning from ear-to-ear as he opened his arms to hug the Ravenclaw. All pairs of eyes focused on the conversation between the to-be sixth year Hufflepuff and the to-be fourth year Ravenclaw.

"Cedric! It's lovely to see you again." Hermione smiled, leaning into the hug. Amos's eyebrows rose up in shock, almost disappearing into his messy mop of hair, for he could not believe that his friend liked such a bushy haired girl. It didn't seem at all becoming for such a well bred and handsome boy.

It was a little awkward for Hermione, so she pulled away from the Hufflepuff quickly. Cedric, sensing her discomfort, as well as feeling his own, jerked away also. Amos peered closely at the Ravenclaw girl and noticed that she was beautiful... once people studied her closely.

"She's not the girlfriend, is she?" Amos muttered, almost to himself, but Fred, George and Ginny heard.

"He wishes." She murmured, for she knew he was within earshot. "He's dating somebody else." She inwardly smirked at his reaction. Amos's eyebrows rose up in distinct surprise once more, for he had thought that his son was able to get _all_the girls.

"I see." He could only respond politely, for he did not know what to say.

Ginny's eyes sparkled with mischief as Mr Weasley instructed them to touch the Portkey. "Three... two... one..."

Hermione could only hear the howling of the wind and swirling change of colour in the scene before her.

* * *

"This is amazing," Harry grinned as they stepped into the shabby looking tent. "All of us _combined _could live here!"

Harry rushed towards one of the bathrooms, and 'awwed' with delight. "This is great!"

"What do you think?" A voice whispered in her ear. Hermione stood there, shell-shocked, until Cedric had come up to her. She jumped, but her heart beat slowed when she saw it was Cedric.

She nodded, eagerly glancing around in excitement.

* * *

Draco was walking with his mother towards the top box, where his father was waiting, when he noticed Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione queuing up to go their seats.

"If you're wondering what that _disgusting_ smell is, Mother, it's because there's a mudblood standing up there." Draco said snottily, gesturing towards Hermione, who was standing on the platform above with the Weasleys and the Diggorys.

Narcissa's expression seemed to indicate that she smelled something bad, though everybody knew she didn't. It was merely a cover to protect herself and her family from everything, so the only way she knew how to do it was to hold up a cold demeanor. One glance upwards had her regretting that she even came in the first place. Her heart was palpitating, posture stiffening at her son's use of a derogatory word _and_from the people she saw, the girl in particular, as she focused her eyes directly on the girl that was under a glamour charm.

She gasped, her breath hitching in her throat. Even under the glamour charm, she was blooming. She was beautiful. But it didn't seem like she had taken notice or any advantage of it at all.

"Mother, what's wrong?" He asked, glancing at his mother with concern. To an outsider, it would have seemed that Draco was asking something in an insolent way. But for the Malfoys, if one paid close attention to their eyes, they would immediately know that there was something wrong about Narcissa Malfoy.

Obviously something that Draco Malfoy noticed too.

Seeming to break out of her reverie, Narcissa smiled faintly, shaking her head in response. "Nothing."

Obviously not believing her but letting the subject drop anyway, Draco's eyes narrowed slightly as he sneered once more to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom, who had only just arrived by Floo.

* * *

_A few moments later..._

"Arthur. What did you have to _sell_to obtain such seats? Surely, your house wouldn't have fetched this much." His grey eyes sweeping up and down the seats that the other man had bought for the match... and at the guests that Arthur Weasley had with him. His eyes stopped roving when he caught sight of her.

Lucius Malfoy's world instantly stopped turning. She looked rather familiar… _She__was__here.__With__the__Weasleys.__She__was__safe._

"Lucius." Mr Weasley said coldly when he caught the snobby looking face of Lucius Malfoy.

Malfoy senior's eyes were trained solely on Hermione, who was a little pink in the face, but she stared determinedly back at him. His lip curled slightly, his eyes sparkling as the grey colour darkened. To the Weasleys and Harry, they may have interpreted it as Lucius Malfoy being proud to be a pureblood. In his own mind, he was seeing his daughter under a _glamour__charm_for the first time, face-to-face.

She looked _exactly_like Emily Granger and the glamour charm that he had casted on his daughter corresponded to what she would _actually_look like _without_the disguise of the charm. That meant… she would be the spitting image of his wife.

_So __many __lost __years, __so __much __lost __time __between __Mia __and __I. __I __do __hope __she __forgives __us - me especially - __when __she __finds __out._He sighed quietly, being careful not to allow anybody see what he was feeling.

Hermione blinked, twice to be exact. _Just __why __was __Lucius __Malfoy __gazing __at __me __so __intensely? __I __haven't __done __anything __wrong __to __him... __have __I? __Heck, __I __haven't __even __met __him!_

"Why is Lucius Malfoy staring at _you_, of all people?" Harry asked, sounding a little disgusted.

Hermione blinked once more, emerging from her reverie. "Honestly, I have no idea. Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

"Okay then, I will." Harry said. Hermione's eyes instantly widened when she heard this.

"Harry, I wasn't being serious!" She said in a high pitched voice, loud enough for only Harry and a select number of people within a metre's distance.

"I know. I just wanted to see your expression when I bluffed that I would." Harry said in a smug voice, grinning nonetheless, as he followed Mr. Weasley towards their seats. "He probably fancies you."

Her eyes widened in shock. "But he's married!"

"Doesn't mean he can't have a roving eye, 'Mi." Harry called over his shoulder. "I'm sure his wife has something on the side too."

Hermione could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "You're disgusting, Harry. Do you know that?"

He grinned at her.

"Well, it's good to know that _someone _has told you that."

* * *

"Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" Ludo Bagman excitedly spoke into the microphone that was his wand.

Hermione was staring around in awe, secretly gleeful at the fact that she had been given the opportunity to come. The atmosphere was upbeat and roaring to go, people were cheering for their respective teams playing, Ireland and Bulgaria.

"BOO!" A loud voice shouted into her ear.

Hermione jumped and fell... head-first off the ledge... so immersed she was into the atmosphere and the crowd at the Arena, she did not notice, as she fell into the Box below. The voice that had scared her, gasped, shocked and surprised at what she had caused.

* * *

"What have you done?" Harry, Ron and Neville shouted together.

"Those Veela are beautiful... with their beautiful hair that shines like the moonlight... skin that glows like the sunlight... dancing with such grace..." Draco sighed, swooning on the inside. Lucius Malfoy could nudge his son discreetly, as he inwardly rolled his eyes. He knew he had to forgive his son for such a thing, for he was like that... twenty years ago, swooning over the Veela.

"Malfoys don't swoon, Draco." He said in a commanding voice, as he turned away to continue speaking to Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister for Magic.

"But they're so... alluring... so sensual..." Draco breathed, closing his eyes in relaxation, relishing the sound of the Veela's tune. Lucius did not hear as he gestured to them seriously, trying to lure his conversational companions to understand what he was trying to convey.

_BAM!_

Lucius felt something extremely heavy land in his conveniently outstretched arms.

* * *

"Uh oh." Mr. Weasley groaned as he looked down towards where Hermione had fallen. "What gave you the idea to scare her like that?"

"Well... you know..." She said sheepishly, feeling guilty.

"Malfoy's not going to be happy, you know." Mr. Weasley could only say grimly. "Those who aren't purebloods are considered to be second class to him."

* * *

Lucius blinked, twice to be precise. Just _who_on earth would fall like that from above? He looked down... and saw a bushy mass of hair buried into his arms.

_Her._

"Lucius!" Narcissa came running from her socialite circle of chatter, when she noticed Hermione Granger unconscious on the sofa.

He gently laid her onto the plush chair, dark velvet the colour of red wine and inconspicuously watched for any sign of her gaining consciousness.

Draco was still swooning over the beautiful Veela, who were now dancing at the side of the Quidditch pitch. At the moment, gallons of gold coins were being flung around the Arena by the leprechauns, the Irish team mascots. Many people had their hats out to bucket some of the gold coins to use.

Narcissa discreetly cast an Invisibility charm on herself (only Lucius could see) so she could mother her daughter... even if it was just for a while. Kneeling down on the floor and bending down towards the level of the plush velvet chairs, she shakily held out a hand and stroked her daughter's hair, lovingly, just like she would if Hermione had been with her all along through the years.

Lucius's heart shattered at the sight of this. He knew he wasn't the nicest man alive, but he was _human_, after all. Hermione was his daughter and he missed her. He knew it was his fault, as he had joined the Dark side when he was young, stupid and naive, and not knowing his pathway in life. Inwardly sighing, he knew that he regretted many, many things he had done... though it was not possible to go back and redo it (Time Turners were an exception, but he didn't want it done in _that_manner), for what is done, is done. It was for her protection.

It always was. And for that reason, he would never regret his and Narcissa's decision to send her to the Grangers.

* * *

"What _are _they doing to Mia?" She asked frantically, for it was her who had gotten Hermione into this mess.

"Hopefully, nothing bad. But with Crouch and Fudge there, they shouldn't be able to do anything." It seemed as though Charlie was only trying to reassure everybody else, for his face had an expression of concern and worry.

"But just how did she fall off the ledge?" Bill asked curiously, for his job as a Curse-Breaker had given him the habit of constantly thinking things over and over again – trial and error methods, etc.

"Well..." Ron sighed, for this was the fifth time he was re-enacting the problematic situation at hand. He wanted to stare into his Omnioculars and watch the exciting game. "Could this wait until later… oh, _look_! Krum's doing his Wronski Feint!"

Everybody could only roll their eyes at the youngest male Weasley.

* * *

She found herself in a land of white... if that made any sense at all. Everything was white. The trees, the sky, the ground... she marvelled at the fact that she could actually distinguish everything surrounding her.

The angel-like figure, blonde and beautiful, tall and statuesque, seemed to be calling to her... Just what was she saying?

She peered closer at the blonde angel, so ethereal, so Veela-like. She was mouthing some words in slow motion. So slow, she couldn't seem to grasp, let alone understand what was being conveyed to her.

_Rewind._

She blinked. What was she saying?

"Come back to me..." The angel breathed, smiling in a motherly and comforting way.

_Do I know this person? Have I seen her before? She does look rather familiar... I think I know her... But I don't think I actually do though…_

"Darling... come back to me..." The angel breathed once more, in that beautiful wind chime-like voice, so relaxing, so refreshing.

Then whoosh.

Her world exploded as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

* * *

Narcissa immediately stopped stroking her daughter's soft but bushy mane when she felt Hermione's consciousness's inconspicuous slip into reality.

"What's wrong?" Lucius asked his wife through their mind-sharing ability.

"She's awake."

Waiting for the flutter of eyelids, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy patiently waited in anxious anticipation to see their daughter awake. It instantly came, much to their relief, for they did not want the Weasleys to be accusing them of doing something that they did not do.

Casting an Awakening Charm on Hermione, they levitated her to walk out of the door in a slight daze – Narcissa did not want Lucius to participate in a fight with Arthur Weasley, so they avoided trouble by sending Hermione up to the Weasleys' Box with a conjured jar of smelling salts.

* * *

"That's _abnormally _nice of them..." Mr. Weasley trailed off, deep in thought, but his expression was still a grim one.

"You mean... I fell off the ledge, and into the Malfoys' Box?" Hermione shrieked loudly, arms flailing around for effect. Despite this, only the surrounding people heard her as cheers were still loud in the Arena.

"AND IRELAND SCORES!" Ludo Bagman yelled into his Sonorus charmed wand. Ron got to his feet, screaming wildly like a banshee, cheering with joy at his favourite Quidditch country team score a goal.

"I'm so sorry, 'Mione! I didn't mean to make you fall off!" Eva said pleadingly.

Hermione smiled a small smile. "It's alright."

With a last glance at one of her best friends, she walked back to her family, seated not too far away from the Weasleys and the Diggorys.

* * *

"You must get outside - quickly!" Mr. Weasley hissed, trying to make his voice a little louder, amidst the screaming and the shrieking from outside. "You must all get away quickly. Now, if you get separated in any way at all, apparated back to the _Burrow_, you hear me? Bill, you will look after the girls. Charlie, Fred and George. Percy, Harry and Ron. Everybody clear with my instructions?"

After seeing everybody nodding, Mr. Weasley hastily ushered his children and their guests out, but not before thinking to himself: _Be__safe._

Then he went out to fight.

* * *

Sprinting away from the chaotic scenes of Good and Evil fighting, Hermione was running for her life.

"C'mon, Hermione!" Ron shouted, grabbing her arm and dragging her with him. "Faster!"

"I'm trying!" She panted, as she felt stress, anxiety and worry being thrown her way as she ran. A glance at Ron's bewildered face. "Really!"

And they arrived into the shadow of the green. The middle of the woods. The centre of nowhere. Dark shadows loomed over the tall trees, as wizards and witches in dark cloaks made their escape away from the camp site, the women clutching their crying children and the men shouting with an evident hint of panic.

"Weasleys." A voice sneered in disgust.

_Malfoy. _Hermione could only form this coherent line of thought – everything was scattered, but she knew that this was not the time to argue about petty issues. Something was happening and it would influence the world she knew forever.

She noticed his eyes glittering under the distant moonlight, sly and scheming – ever so Slytherin. And then – a sound that seemed to explode in their ears came from the campsite. Ginny jumped ever so slightly, as George wrapped his already-there arm even more tightly around his sister's shoulders and Malfoy noticed this.

"Scared are you, Weaslette?" Malfoy's pale eyes were glittering more than ever, for he seemed to have something up his sleeve.

When nobody responded to the question, Malfoy continued, in a mocking voice. "I suppose Daddy dearest told you all to hide. What is he doing now? Rescuing the Muggles?"

Another big bang sounded as Fred, George and Ron's eyes all narrowed. Ginny attempted to narrow her eyes, but her breath caught into her throat, so scared to remotely form a single thought.

"Gin, let's just go find the others. We can cope without them." Hermione smiled at the girl that she had become close to over the past summer – they were almost best friends. Gently taking her friend's shaky hand, Hermione walked with Ginny, a little further away from the middle of the woods as the male Weasleys and Harry bickered with Malfoy about issues that were not even important for the moment.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, 'Mi?" Ginny asked, sounding like a little girl.

"I think we'll be safe here for the time being." Hermione said, effortlessly sounding reassuring as she knelt to the ground and began crawling into the small cave-like hole.

* * *

"Where are Ginny and Hermione?" Harry asked slowly, dreading the worst when Malfoy was gone. Fred's eyes widened.

"Dad, Bill and Charlie will kill us!" George whined, but clearly panicking inside. "We had the responsibility of looking after you all as they went to fight!"

"I'm sure they're safe." Ron muttered, though he wasn't very sure himself. "'Mione can think quickly on her feet."

The four boys trekked deeper into the forest and their surroundings were nothing but deafening silence and the colour of a dark bottle green.

* * *

_A few moments later, after chatting about anything and everything to distract themselves from what was going on..._

"I think we can go out now," Hermione muttered. The area around them was completely silent, and Ginny heard everything.

"Okay." The younger girl murmured, slowly slithering out of the hole. It had been easily to go in, but it was harder to go out.

Emerging in the fresh air, Ginny breathed heavily and saw a wisp of smoke rising in the sky.

"'Mi... what is _that_?"

Not expecting what she was to see, Hermione gazed up to the dark sky in apprehension. "Oh, _Merlin_."

The sky seemed to be the colour of midnight, so what she saw was clear for everyone in proximity to see.

"Gin. We must go – immediately. Come on now, run!"

She grabbed the red haired girl's hand and they started running back to where they came from.

* * *

Suddenly –

"_MORSMORDRE_!" A deep male voice bellowed.

A large, glimmering cloud of green erupted into darkness, like the red lava erupting from the volcano.

"What is that?" Ron gasped, jumping to his feet and staring at the thing that was in the sky.

A large and colossal skull that was the colour of emerald gems, which had a serpent in a freeze-frame, trying to slither out from its mouth – just like a tongue. It rose higher and higher, and there was an instant roar of terrified screams.

The figure seemed to take notice of Ron's gasp and turned his wand at Ron. "The Dark Lord shall rise once more. And nobody will stop him!" The figure shook, cackling and cast blue sparks in the boys' direction.

All four of them ducked instinctively, George being the only one brave enough to glance up towards the sky.

He could only look at the sky in horror. "We must go find the girls." He said in a voice of authority.

"Why the seriousness now, Gred?" Fred laughed.

"Fred – have you been listening in class? Do you know what that _thing_is?"

A shake of 'no's from the other three boys. "It's the Dark Mark! You-Know-Who's sign!" George moaned, as though he was in immense pain.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Stop in the name of Merlin!" A masculine voice growled loudly. It was Amos Diggory. Harry and George stopped, yanking Fred and Ron away from escaping.

"We're in deep trouble." Ron sighed.

"STUPEFY!" Several voices chanted. Flashes of red light zoomed towards them, as the powerful tail wind from the spells swept away the summery sycamore on the ground as shadows suddenly appeared from the back of the clearing.

_Hermione __and __Ginny. _Harry thought with relief, as he recognised the shape of the figures. It seemed that these petite figures were engulfed by three other figures as they drifted slowly away...

_Probably Bill, Charlie and Percy. Hopefully._

"_STOP! __THEY'RE __MY __SONS!_" A familiar voice yelled.

"There is _no _way you could not have done anything! You have been discovered at the scene of the crime! Confess, or else!" Barty Crouch's face was red with rage.

"Look, Barty. There's no way these four could have done it. They're kids. They would not have been able to-" The woman said in an almost-patronising voice.

"SHUT UP!" Mr. Crouch's face was becoming purple. "You four are _lying_!"

"I told you! There was a man there – he was not too far behind the trees, you see. Then he shouted something... an incantation... and then he sent some blue sparks towards us..." George trailed off when he noticed his father giving him a pointed look of warning for speaking too much.

Arthur Weasley's eyes widened in shock. Red sparks were one thing, but blue sparks were not good at all.

"You seem to know an _awful __lot _about how that _disgusting __thing _is summoned, boy!" Mr. Crouch said with dismay, disbelief and disgust, dismissing the blue sparks issue.

The other twenty wizards and witches present all pointed their wands in the direction of the trees, all shouting the 'Stupefy' spell in unison.

"We're too late. They'll have Disapparated," the woman speaking before said, shaking her head. After some more arguing with Crouch, the twenty Aurors and Ministry employees sifted out of the forest, leaving only Mr. Weasley, Harry, George, Ron and Fred.

"We must go back to the tent."

* * *

Mr. Weasley sighed with relief when he saw Ginny, Hermione, Bill, Charlie and Percy seated quietly at the dining table, with only a candle in the middle as their light.

"Did you get them?" Bill questioned.

"What happened?" Charlie asked.

"Who was the person that conjured the Mark?" Percy asked curiously, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be pompous and 'above everybody else'.

"No, nothing." Mr. Weasley sighed, plopping himself down on the plush chair.

A silence wedged between the people in the room, as they all lost themselves in their thoughts.

"Do you think that whoever conjured the Dark Mark... do you think that this person tried to scare people away... or to show support for You-Know-Who?" Hermione broke through the icy silence that followed the hot and tense air.

"Well, we don't know... hopefully we'll know soon. But one thing to keep in mind: it was only the Death Eaters who knew how to conjure it. Anyway," Mr. Weasley changed the subject. "You must all be exhausted. We should all get a few more hours of sleep... then we'll catch an early Portkey."

* * *

"No, please!" Ron pleaded warily to his mother. "Not Ginny's new dress. I thought you could tell the difference between me and her!"

"Dear, they're for you. They're dress robes." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling.

"You're kidding me!" Ron shrieked, sounding eerily like a girl.

"No, I'm not. It's on your school list that you're supposed to have dress robes for some formal occasions this year..." Mrs. Weasley trailed off, as if she heard something. "I think your brothers are causing trouble again... I really must go sort them out..."

* * *

_A few days later..._

The Great Hall was decorated especially for the usual start-of-term feast. Hermione smiled. _She __was __home._

Following Eva, Susa and Padma to the Ravenclaw table, she caught Cho and Etta's eyes and waved with a bright smile to them. The three conversed animatedly, telling each other about their summers. Then it was silence for the sorting. Afterwards, the Headmaster explained the structure of the new school year.

And then somebody burst through the large doors.

"Students – may I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor – this is Professor Moody." Professor Dumbledore smiled brightly. Moody made his way to the staff table, and muttered a few words to the Headmaster, and then he took his seat.

Professor Dumbledore continued with what he had been speaking before. "It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

He continued. "It was first established as a friendly competition between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and they had to compete in three magical tasks. Each school took turns to host it once every five years, and many agreed that it was a good way to make ties and connections between young witches and wizards of different nationalities. However, the death toll was so high, that the Tournament was discontinued."

Whispers of excitement instantly circulated around the Great Hall.

"It's going to be held at Hogwarts!" Marietta squealed. "Think of all the handsome students that will be coming from the other two schools!"

Hermione, Padma and Eva rolled their eyes.

"I wonder what kind of events will take place…" Padma murmured.

"I know! Are the tasks really that dangerous for the death toll to be so high?" Hermione trailed off, her thoughts all in a scatter.

"And the Yule Ball!" Cho added finally, when everybody looked at her for a comment.

Marietta, Cho and Susa sighed dreamily. "Think of all the beautiful dresses and decorations…"

Padma, Eva and Hermione glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Although there have been many attempts over the years to reinstate the Tournament, none of which have been successful, our Departments of International Magical Co-operation and Magical Games and Sports have decided that now is the time for another try. We have made the effort over the summer to make sure that no champion will find himself/herself in mortal danger. The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short listed contenders and a few supporters in October. The selection of these champions will be at Halloween. There will be an unbiased judge to decide which students are most worthy to participate in the Triwizard Cup, and there will be a thousand Galleons prize money."

More whispers of excitement circled the Hall. Hermione noticed Fred and George Weasley's expressions of hope – they seemed to be visualising themselves as the Hogwarts champion.

Fat chance they had of being selected anyway.

"However, as eager as I know that many of you will want to be the Champion, we have decided to impose an age restriction. Only students who are of age – seventeen years or older will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration."

* * *

School had gone on as usual, except fourth year seemed to involve a lot more homework and time to complete it. Professor McGonagall had already given her students a 'taster' of what OWL year would be like, to which Hermione had responded by studying ahead – she and Eva had borrowed a majority of the fifth year books on top of their fourth year homework tasks. Indeed it was a busy year.

Hermione and Padma had just returned back to the Ravenclaw common room, to find many people excitedly crowding around the notice board on the left. Noticing less people in the right corner, Hermione curiously made her way towards the less crowded one.

_TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT NOTICE_

_The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving on Friday 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early and students will return their bags and books to their dormitories. All students will promptly assemble and be seated in the Great Hall by six thirty sharp to greet our guests just before the Welcoming Feast._

_The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore_

"We're missing the last half hour of Potions!" Susa smiled. She disliked Potions immensely. It wasn't because she wasn't very good at it, for she was (or else we would wonder why the sorting hat placed her in Ravenclaw) but the fact that the Potions Master was so nasty put her off the class completely. Susa merely continued the subject because she liked learning about new potions that could be used in daily life.

Eva, Padma and Hermione could only laugh.

* * *

The days whizzed by, and soon it was Friday. Hermione could not believe that the days had gone by so quickly. They were in Potions, the most dreaded lesson of the week.

Colin Creevey entered the room timidly, evidently scared of Professor Snape. Hermione could distinctly hear Harry muttering to himself, and smiled slightly at the green-eyed boy's annoyance at the boy who idolised Harry so much.

"Professor Snape," Colin greeted with a stuttering voice, walking towards the greasy haired man with billowing black robes, shaped like a bat's wings. "This is a note from the Headmaster."

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed slightly, as he skimmed through the note, his beady black eyes fluttering from left to right.

"Mr. Zabini and Miss Granger, the Headmaster wishes for you to see him in his office." He could only say curtly, as Colin scurried out of the room, as if he was running away for his life.

Hermione's eyes seem to only indicate that of surprise as she glanced everywhere and Susa, Padma and Eva's faces only showed concern. She glanced to the desk across from hers, where Blaise was sitting, to see his impassive mask – the one she knew ever so well, the expression of distinct surprise. After receiving instructions to pack their things, Hermione and Blaise rushed out of the room, wondering what exactly the Headmaster wanted from them.

* * *

"I wonder what Hermione was called to the Headmaster for," Padma said aloud, as she, Susa and Eva ran back to the Ravenclaw Common Room and quickly fixing their dishevelled appearances.

"Perhaps the Headmaster just wanted to see how the best students in fourth year are doing?" Susa suggested, preening in the mirror.

"That is not remotely plausible, Susie." Eva rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's another exchange programme."

"Again?" Susa and Padma said together.

"But there aren't any European schools available! They're all here!" Padma argued.

Susa sighed.

* * *

Soon, the whole school had assembled in the Great Hall. Many had been in awe when they saw glimpses of the magical transport that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang used to arrive at Hogwarts.

"Where's 'Mi?" Eva asked worriedly, glancing around the entrances. She caught Ginny's eye, as the red head had also noticed her friend's absence. Eva only shrugged.

The Hall went silent when two people burst through the door simultaneously.

* * *

"So are you ready?" Blaise asked.

"We'll see." Hermione answered diplomatically. "Shall I go then?"

"If you wish to."

Hermione nodded decisively and Blaise went into the Great Hall.

* * *

When winter arrives at Hogwarts, it is blisteringly cold. This year, it is abnormally early. Perhaps Mother Nature wants to be on time so that the Triwizard Tournament will go by smoothly? Hermione shivered as she stepped out into the cold.

Hermione saw several dark figures of different sizes emerging from the distance.

"Ple-eze treet 'ze Thestrals wiz ree-spect. 'Zey are very eeks-pens-eeve and dee-fee-cooult to look after." A familiar voice commanded loudly.

_Familiar, much?  
_

* * *

**S****urprise, surprise. Who are these figures? Who is the familiar but commanding voice? Can you guess? Tell me what you think!**

**Although I am shivering from the blistery winds, the pan is scorching with the juiciest gossip!**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl  
**

* * *

_Next on the Upper Wizarding Street Channel…_

_- Who has an accident? Or not?_

"Of course you can do it."

And she promptly dropped her hand into his, pushing the two away from the staff table. Both struggling to keep balance on the rickety set of staircase, she fell backwards, falling and falling…

* * *

_- Trouble in Paradise?_

"You're kidding, right? You don't know what this is all about! People _die_ in this Tournament, don't you see?"

_Find out more by tuning in, next time on Gossip Girl._


	18. Three Champions Plus An Extra

_**Chapter Seventeen: Three Champions Plus An Extra**_

**When there comes a sunny day, the sky is blue and the grass is green. The birds are singing the most beautiful and melodious tunes and one cannot help but wish for the perfect day they've always craved. Then the day goes by and then... they realise that there's no such thing as the perfect day. That's because life isn't perfect. It never is.**

**On the Upper Wizarding Street, us rich folks wake up to the aroma of fresh food being served to us in bed. Fresh food imported directly from the corners of the world. Food from France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, China, Japan, the list goes on... it's no wonder why everybody wishes to live the glamourous life of an Upper Wizarding Streeter. As we have all the new and advanced magical technology available to us for our personal use and access, we can always know about _everything_that goes on at Hogwarts. And you have me. Gossip Girl. I am your unlimited fountain of information and knowledge regarding _anything__and__everything_at Hogwarts, whenever and wherever you want it.  
**

* * *

Hermione stared, almost gawping as Hagrid and Madame Maxime conversed together, the latter clearly thinking that she was above Hagrid in both class and status. Madame Charpentier, Mademoiselle Blanchard and Monsieur Lenoir, three teachers accompanying the Beauxbatons group, stood quietly next to the Headmistress, gazing around in awe at the Hogwarts grounds.

"Good evening, Madame Maxime. Good evening, Madame Charpentier, Mademoiselle Blanchard, Monsieur Lenoir." Hermione greeted as she shivered in the cold. The three teachers smiled, but all three smiles came out as grimaces as they shivered in the cold.

"Mademoiselle Granger." Madame Charpentier managed, evidently not used to the cold English weather despite her smart but thick mink coat. "I trust you still practise and remember your dance and etiquette?"

"Of course." Hermione smiled, her teeth chattering, for she had not brought a scarf with her.

"Mademoiselle Granger!" Madame Maxime became distracted as she spoke to the Hogwarts student who was an exchange at her own school. Pleasantries were exchanged between the Headmistress of Beauxbatons and the Hogwarts student as they chatted as though they were old friends.

"Mia!" More figures, shivering from the cold, and wearing only the familiar thin and blue silk uniforms appeared next to Madame Maxime.

* * *

The Great Hall remained buzzing, eagerly awaiting for the fashionably-late guests who had yet to arrive. _Just __where __were __the __guests? __What __was __taking __them __so __long?_

"Mister Zabini." The Headmaster said in a low voice, gesturing towards the Italian boy to get closer to listen. "Do you have any idea what is taking Miss. Granger so long to escort the guests into the Great Hall? Surely, I didn't delegate such difficult a task, did I?"

Blaise allowed a small smirk to grace his face. "No, Professor. I can only assume that Granger and the other girls from Beauxbatons are squealing with delight at the sight of each other."

The Headmaster nodded, his blue eyes twinkling. "Of course. I suppose that is expected."

And indeed, we all know that Blaise Zabini was spot on in his assumption of loud squeals of delight.

* * *

"Madame. We must arrive into the Great Hall. I'm sure Hogwarts is wondering what is taking us so long." Hermione breathed into the air, her face evident from her excitement and happiness at seeing all her friends from the exchange programme she participated in, not too long ago.

Hermione led the Beauxbatons group, and as they walked towards the dark castle that was Hogwarts, she conversed with Lisette, Gisele and Isidore, who were only present at Hogwarts to support their classmate who would become Beauxbatons' Triwizard Champion. It wasn't long until they reached the front entrance. Everybody, including Madame Maxime, were all discreetly brushing off small icicles from their clothes.

"What are the costumes for?" Hermione inquired curiously, when she noticed Gabrielle Delacour's uniform morph into a bright orange leotard. "Isn't it a little cold to be wearing that flimsy thing?"

"For a performance. It's mandatory for the visiting schools to put on a show for the host school." Lisette replied, as she checked over the performing troupe's clothing, smoothing out and tapping her wand at the seams of each costume that she was in charge of.

"Please follow me up to the top." Hermione instructed politely as she walked quickly up the stairs. "Please stay here. I'm to inform Headmaster Dumbledore that you've arrived."

Madame Maxime nodded, and whispered instructions to the students that were to perform. Hermione tapped the grand mahogany door that was the entrance to the Great Hall and went in.

* * *

She felt all eyes staring at her. Hermione blushed under the intense scrutiny of the Hogwarts staff and students. Quickly nodding at Blaise and the Headmaster, Hermione muttered to the door, knowing that Madame Maxime was probably listening at the door. She then rushed towards the front, taking her place next to her Slytherin counterpart.

_Outside_, Gabrielle stretched her arms to the air. Mathilde and Arielle nodded to each other. Fleur was twirling strands of her silvery blonde hair around her finger, clearly bored out of her mind. Gracefully opening the door, nobody inside the Great Hall expected what they were to see.

* * *

Blaise inwardly smirked at some of the icicles melting in Hermione's unruly hair that had just been in the wind as she took her place next to him.

"Don't you look rather messed up." He commented quietly.

Hermione glanced at him, exasperated. Her expression suddenly changed to that of glee when she remembered something. The Slytherin had a wary expression in his eyes.

"Charpentier's here." She merely said, discreetly glancing at his expression from the corner of her eye that was changing to one of annoyance.

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not. Blanchard and Lenoir are here too."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Right, and I'm wearing a pink tutu and my sister's fluorescent, neon pink butterfly headdress."

"And you shall." Hermione retorted playfully. "I dare you to."

Suddenly, a pair of doves flew across the room towards the fourth years, bearing bouquets of flowers for the Beauxbatons guests. Then, as if on cue, upbeat music entered the room as the door opened, revealing Gabrielle Delacour with her arms stretched in the air. She jumped, pirouetted and twirled into the Great Hall with poise, evidently having practised it before arriving at Hogwarts. The other students of Beauxbatons entered, having practised a routine of their own. It was all choreographed very well. Fleur Delacour entered, clearly not having practised, but her Veela beauty entranced almost all the men in the room, attracting the likes of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy.

Then Madame Maxime entered, her extremely tall frame intimidating almost everybody but Albus Dumbledore as everybody applauded the perfection of the routine. Striding to the front with elegance and poise, she greeted the Hogwarts Headmaster with the typical French wizarding greeting: a peck on each cheek.

* * *

After Durmstrang had completed their performance routine, Durmstrang's Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff had greeted the Hogwarts Headmaster, the four Hogwarts exchange students had gifted Hogwarts' honourary presents to the visiting guests, and Madame Maxime and the Deputy Headmistress of Durmstrang seemed to be deep in thought.

"There seems to be something missing." Madame Maxime said, almost to herself.

"What is it, Olympe?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes twinkling, seeming to know what she wanted to do.

"The host school dancing – don't all opening wizarding ceremonies have that?"

Blaise and Hermione blinked in surprise, exhibiting expressions of shock and bewilderment.

"Of course! Such an impromptu thing is important for the flexible wizard or witch!" Madame Charpentier chimed, evidently happy at what Madame Maxime had suggested. "Of course you can do it, Monsieur Zabini and Mademoiselle Granger. You've practised, haven't you?"

Blaise and Hermione could only look away, embarrassed. Evidently they had not done anything of the sort, let alone practise with each other.

With Hermione's hand in hers, Madame Maxime promptly dropped her hand into his, pushing the two away from the staff table. The Deputy Headmistress of Durmstrang did the same thing with Darren and Ina. Both struggling to keep balance on the rickety set of staircase, she fell backwards, falling and falling…

* * *

"What's happening?" Eva asked, clapping a hand to her mouth in horror.

"Hermione's falling!" Padma shrieked quietly. Susa couldn't say anything, but her wide eyes were an indication of her emotions.

_On the Gryffindor table..._

"If the idiot doesn't catch her, I shall personally punch him in the face myself. Though I won't be surprised. He's a Slytherin, after all." Ron said angrily. Normally, Ginny would have slapped his arm, but this time, she was too horrified to say anything. Harry and Neville disregarded him, their eyes wide with shock.

_The Hufflepuffs' anxiety..._

"Ina! She's falling!" A Hufflepuff girl exclaimed. Cedric did not notice his fellow House mate falling to the ground. His eyes were trained on one thing in the room. All he could see was Hermione falling to the ground.

_Slytherin caring..._

"My, Draco. I _do _hope that Blaise does catch Granger." Pansy commented, her eyes slightly crinkled to indicate her softer and concerned side.

"Are you sure about that?" Draco glanced at Pansy, shocked.

"Granger may be a mudblood, but she's _human_, Malfoy."

* * *

Hermione attempted to muffle her groan.

Until Blaise caught her.

"I'm not your knight in shining armour. Just you remember that." He said gruffly, helping Hermione to her feet.

"Nobody said you were, Zabini."

"Well, you were implying it, Granger, so it's your fault." Blaise said smugly, evidently thinking that he had won the argument this time around.

"Nobody told you to fall into the trap, Zabini." Hermione retorted.

And they danced. Mademoiselle Blanchard transformed the uniforms of the dancing students into proper ballroom wear. With the permission of the Hogwarts Headmaster, Monsieur Lenoir changed the Great Hall into a magnificent setting of a ballroom, save the Hogwarts house tables. Eva, Susa and Padma were in awe of both the transfiguration of the Great Hall and the standard of their best friend's dancing.

Swapping dance partners as they came across one, Lisette smiled at Hermione as they twirled around each other, and into each other's partners' arms.

"Hello Mia." Adrien grinned as he twirled her around. "I trust you are well?"

She smiled. "Of course. And you?"

Pleasantries were exchanged between the two as they danced under the bright spotlight. Lisette noticed this and commented to Blaise.

"Don't they look cute together, Blaise?" She cooed, evidently wanting the relationship between Adrien and Hermione to flourish and bloom into a full one.

Blaise's jaw seemed to stiffen, then relax once more. "Of course, of course." He said smiling forcefully, though it didn't seem like he meant it. Lisette did not notice this.

It seemed as though Blaise was annoyed with Lisette's incessant chatter about Adrien and Hermione's relationship. Evidently, it didn't seem as though he wanted it to bloom, though nobody is quite sure of his feelings. There was another swap of dance partners as Hermione twirled back into Blaise's arms. Soon, the music gradually ended and Blaise had Hermione in an impromptu dip, much to the surprise of the rest of the school and the guests. The Great Hall and ballroom clothes quickly transformed back to normal.

"Why did you do that?" Hermione asked, sounding surprised.

"Why, for dramatics, of course." He said, smirking. "What did you think I was trying to do?"

A pause.

"You didn't think that I was trying to _sweep __you __off __your __feet_, did you?" Blaise asked incredulously.

Hermione laughed. "Of course not!"

As he had brought up the subject, she didn't know what to think at all.

* * *

_At the Ravenclaw Table..._

"Did you see the sparks literally emerge from **that** dip?" Padma squealed. "You are so cute together!"

"I know!" Susa agreed. "'Mi, you and Zabini really do suit each other! You'd be such a cute couple if you dated!"

Eva smiled, inwardly agreeing with the other two girls, but refrained from commenting, for she knew that Hermione was not feeling particularly comfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"'Ne, you and Zabini – I felt _sparks_ from your dancing!" Marietta gushed, overwhelmed by the amount of romance they were discussing.

Hermione blinked and laughed awkwardly. "Did you really?" Was all she could say.

"You two are the equivalent to me and Cedric." Cho said, with a slight gush to her tone. "You two are so cute! If only Zabini wasn't so hung up on all those blood ideas and pureblood supremacy... we could double date!"

It was then when she decided to end the conversation. It was all too much. "Look, girls. I will _never_go out with Zabini. What do you take me for?"

"Never say _never_, 'Mi." Padma said mysteriously. "You never know what the future will throw at you."

* * *

_Later in the Slytherin Boys' Dormitory..._

"What on _earth_ were you thinking?" Draco asked, his usual deep voice having gone up several octaves.

"He's just jealous that he hasn't done anything of the sort. And let me elaborate on what he was _trying_to say, but failed. Dude. It seemed like you were going to kiss her! You should have heard what Pansy and Millie were saying!" Theo said calmly, his demeanor completely different to that of Draco's.

Blaise nodded, as he projected a calm demeanor, gesturing for them to continue.

"'Omigod! Blaise is going to kiss Granger! How romantic is that?' Or, 'don't you think that Blaise and Granger would look good together?' 'Omigod! Imagine if they really got together!'" Theo mimicked in a high pitched, girly voice.

"That doesn't sound like Pans at all." Blaise chuckled, evidently amused.

"That is beside the point." Draco said. "It sickened me to my stomach, seeing you almost kiss her."

"Jealous, Draco?" Theo teased.

"Of course not!" Draco dismissed the issue quickly. "It's _Granger_we're talking about."

"Anyway, I thought blood issues were a problem." Blaise said, sounding bored.

Theo rolled his eyes. "You know that isn't a problem for me. I suppose I'd give you the green light if you went out with Granger. You're top two in our year. You're quite intelligent. She is too."

"Since when did _you_ know so much about Granger, Theo?" Draco asked curiously, in a slightly teasing voice. "You're not _stalking _the poor girl, are you, you perv!"

A pillow was thrown towards Draco, which was met with an 'oof'. "_Theo_!"

Theo blinked, twice to be exact, as though nothing happened. "Remember I was her Potions partner at the beginning of the year? You know, before you left, gallivanting off at Beauxbatons? Anyway, that is beside the point. You two really suit each other."

Blaise stared at Theo, gobsmacked. Then he started laughing. "You're kidding, right? There is _no __way _I'd ever go out with her."

Theo gazed at Blaise with an unreadable expression on his face. "We'll see about that."

Draco scoffed in dismay, while this comment left Blaise to wonder... _what __does __Theo __know __that __I __don't?  
_

* * *

The Beauxbatons students had seated themselves at the Ravenclaw table, and the Durmstrang students at the Slytherin table. Many of them were crowding around Hermione Granger, whom they all obviously knew.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," Dumbledore beamed. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay at our school will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will officially open at the end of our special feast. But for now, you are all invited to eat, drink and make yourselves at home!"

Golden dishes, piled as high as a mini-mountain appeared in front of them. Hermione sat in between Eva and Lisette, opposite Fleur. She happily introduced her Beauxbatons friends to her Hogwarts ones.

Once the golden plates were shining like it had been before it was filled with food, Professor Dumbledore hit his goblet with a fork, just like one would at a Muggle wedding, and his eyes twinkled at the sight of upturned faces, listening in rapt attention. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. However, I would like to say a few words before the casket is brought in."

Whispers circulated around the room, but gradually subsided when people noticed Dumbledore's hand in the air. "Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch here have worked tirelessly over the summer, for the arrangements of the Triwizard Tournament, to make it possible. They will be joining me, Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff on the panel of judges, who will judge the champions' efforts."

Then, he gestured to Filch, who brought into the Great Hall, a large wooden chest, which was encrusted with jewels and gems of the most beautiful colours. Dumbledore had begun to speak again, though this was tuned out by the many whispers of excitement around the room. "There will be three tasks, spaced nicely throughout the school year. These tasks are designed to test the champions through their magical prowess, their daring, powers of deduction, and of course their ability to cope with danger."

"As you know, three champions compete, one from each of the participating schools. The judging panel will mark them based upon how well they perform each of the tasks. The champion with the highest total after the last task will win the Triwizard Cup. And as for your questions as to how these champions will be chosen, they will be chosen by an impartial selector. The Goblet of Fire."

By now, everybody noticed Dumbledore tapping his wand on the top of the casket, which slowly opened. Then emerged a large and ordinary wooden cup, which despite its ordinariness, blue-white flames filled the cup to the brim. "To submit yourself as a champion, you must write your name and school on a slip of parchment in legible handwriting. Aspiring champions will have twenty-four hours to put their names forward. The Goblet will be in the Entrance Hall, so that it is accessible to those who wish to compete. Tomorrow night, the Goblet will return three names that it has judged most worthy to represent their schools." Professor Dumbledore paused.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, an Age Line will be drawn around the Goblet of Fire so that nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross the line. And finally, I wish to inform those of you wishing to enter and compete in this Tournament that you should not enter into this lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet, he or she is obligated to compete in the Tournament, all the way to the end. By placing your name into the Goblet, you have entered into a binding and magical contract. Thus you must all be sure that you are absolutely prepared to compete. Now, I think that it is time for bed. Good night."

More talking ensued throughout the Hall. They were soon dismissed; Cho and Marietta were walking with the Ravenclaw Quartet.

"Cedric's thinking about entering the Tournament." Cho sighed. "I hope he does get it..."

"But you hope that if he does, that he'll be safe." Padma finished, sighing. Everybody stared at her in surprise.

"Hey! I'm not that stupid, you know." Padma mock-glared at the other girls, who were all smothering their giggles.

* * *

Hermione headed to the library to her usual spot, and saw a figure already sitting there. They greeted each other, as she smiled at him, tidying up the books that she had left scattered on the table, and putting them into her bag.

"'Mione, I just wanted to tell you something..." Cedric trailed off, not knowing what to say. She nodded, as if gesturing to him to continue.

"I was... _thinking _of entering the Triwizard Tournament." He muttered.

Hermione blinked, and Cedric noticed her cheeks becoming redder and redder. It was a clear sign of her anger and/or her frustration. "You're joking, right? You don't know what this is all about! People _die_ in this Tournament, don't you see?"

"'Mione, you can't tell me what to do or think." Cedric said in a placating voice. "I was just informing you, just so you won't get angry at me tomorrow, if my name comes out of the Goblet."

When Cedric noticed Hermione's eyes blazing with fury, he knew that it was the wrong thing to say. Her voice was still calm, though it was rising slightly. "_Just __so __you __won't __get __angry __at __me_? Really Cedric, I _thought _we were friends! Good friends! Good friends don't act so _insensitively _to each other!"

"Well then, what _do __you __want_ from me?" Cedric was evidently beginning to get frustrated, for his voice rose.

"_I _don't want _you_to feel _obligated _to tell me things! _I_want _you_to _want_to tell me things!" Hermione suddenly shrieked, as her face became red.

Cedric's eyes widened. "Well, _I __have __the __choice __to __tell __or __not __tell __you __things_!" He said loudly, catching the attention of Madam Pince, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"OUT! OUT! You two – I WANT YOU TO GET OUT!" Madam Pince suddenly appeared out of nowhere, speaking in a shrilly voice. "You are disrupting everybody _working_in the library! Take your hooligan behaviour _someplace __else_!"

Quickly glancing at the librarian and noting her angered expression, Cedric and Hermione quickly tidied up their things and rushed out of the library.

"'Mione. Why the heck are you putting all your frustration on me? I haven't done anything!" Cedric said, slightly angry.

"_You __haven't __done __anything_? Oh, _you __think __about __that, __Cedric_!" Hermione said angrily, stomping a foot on the ground.

"But-" Cedric started in a calmer voice. Hermione had already started running off towards the Ravenclaw Common Room.

* * *

The world came back into focus after a few blinks. He glanced around, horrified when he realised where he was.

_Impossible..._

"What have I done?" The man whispered in horror. "Harry Potter _cannot _be in the Triwizard Tournament! He is underage!"

"_Your __morals __disgust __me, __Alastor..._" A voice hissed from deep in his mind. "_What __kind __of __a __man __are __you? __Not __adventurous __at __all? __Think __of __it __as... __an __adventure, __for __the __Boy-who-lived. __No __sense __of __adventure __at __all... __what __a __pity, __Alastor..._"

Alastor Moody shook his head. This was a rather strange scene, for Moody had completely crossed the Age Line, and had his hand frantically rummaging the inside of the Goblet of Fire.

_What has this idiot done? A life is now in danger. A student's! The Harry Potter is in danger!_

"_And __so __you've __only __noticed, __Alastor..._" The voice hissed in a slightly amused voice. "_So __much __for __being __a __top __Auror, __eh? __Trying __to __catch __people __like __me..._"

_I **need **to get Harry Potter's name slip **out **of this Goblet! He absolutely **cannot**compete! He is too young!_

"_You're __too __late. __**The **__best __Auror __in__ Britain __is __you? __You're making my job__too __easy. __Harry __Potter __**will **__participate __in __this __Tournament. __He __shall __rise __again._"

A loud streak of lightning crackled above in the enchanted sky. And once again, Professor Moody's eyes were unfocused, his whole being seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

* * *

_The next evening..._

Hermione and Blaise had taken Adrien, Lisette and the rest of the visiting Beauxbatons students around the school.

The excitement had been building up since the previous night. The younger years were excited about _who _was going to be chosen, and the older students were interested in knowing if _they_were going to be chosen. Soon, everybody was seated at the Great Hall, with impatient expressions, fidgeting and some were even constantly craning their necks to see if Dumbledore had finished his meal.

It wasn't long until Professor Dumbledore stood up, and the noise level dropped down almost immediately. He spoke about what the champions were to do after they were selected, and then the Great Hall was submerged in semi-darkness.

The flames inside the Goblet suddenly turned red, and sparks flew from it. A flame suddenly shot into the air, like a firework, but stronger, and a burnt piece of parchment fluttered from the Goblet, and into Dumbledore's hands.

"The champion for Durmstrang... will be Viktor Krum."

An immediate applause and cheering filled the hall as Krum rose from the Slytherin table, and walked towards Dumbledore and shook his hand. He then disappeared through the door and into the next chamber.

A deep silence filled the Great Hall as everybody waited in intense anticipation.

"The champion for Beauxbatons... is Fleur Delacour."

A loud applause followed, as many of the male students present realised that it was her name. Fleur quickly smiled at everybody on the Ravenclaw table and hugged those close in proximity to her, such as Hermione, Lisette and her friend, Mathilde and Adelaide. Promising hugs for later, she followed the direction in which Viktor Krum had gone.

Once more, the Great Hall was instantly submerged into silence. Everybody knew that there was one school left; one champion still to be decided. Even Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape had taken to discreetly sitting to the edge of the seats, evidently anticipating and speculating in their minds, as to which Hogwarts student would be champion.

"The champion for Hogwarts... is Cedric Diggory."

There was an instant uproar as everybody on the Hufflepuff table had jumped to their feet, cheering and applauding their champion, who would bring much-needed glory to their house.

Hermione immediately felt her heart freeze, almost shattering into millions of pieces. She couldn't feel his glory at all, feeling nothing but worry and fear of what fate had ahead for him. She kept a cool mask of indifference as she applauded him politely, only allowing a small smile when she heard a faint "No!" at Cedric being champion. It seemed to be It sounded distinctly like Ron.

It was quite a long time until Dumbledore got the attention of the Great Hall. He called happily, "Well, we now have our three champions. We, as the judges, are counting on all of you to give your champions all the support you can. By cheering them on-"

He suddenly stopped, as the flames of the Goblet turned red again.

Everybody was staring at it in wonder, wondering how there could be another champion. Dumbledore caught the fluttering parchment. Staring at the parchment long and hard, Hermione noticed that his eyes had clouded, and had become a little worried. It seemed as though nobody else noticed this.

"Harry Potter."

Hermione gasped quietly, her mouth agape. Harry slowly stood up, clearly stunned and went towards the direction of Dumbledore. Everybody was staring at him, and he heard whispers of,

"Potter's a cheat."

"How the heck did he cross the Age Line?"

"I thought Dumbledore was supposed to be really powerful."

And he too, disappeared into the next chamber.

* * *

The Great Hall immediately burst into suspicious whispers after Harry had left the room. Hermione was shell-shocked and horrified that Harry had put his name in, or didn't. She knew he didn't, though there was no evidence to prove this.

Eva gazed at her best friend intently. She was a distinct contrast from the noisy surroundings, trying to pump up some spirit for the First Task. Noticing she was quiet and detached from the rest of the world, Eva became more and more concerned. She was normally chatty, sociable, and complete with her intelligence, she was the perfect Ravenclaw. Eva knew her well. She had never been like this since she had known her. Hermione was never like this. Ever.

_Just __what __could __have __been __the __cause __of __this? _She wondered over and over again.

_What? __Why? __How? _So many questions, but no answers at all.

Suddenly, a light bulb popped in her head.

_Of __course._She nodded to herself. So sure she was of the answer.

_Cedric!_

_But... what about Harry?  
_

* * *

_The next morning._

"'Mi! Look at all of those _'Support __Cedric __Diggory'_ badges! Looks like Potter's got what he deserves for being such an attention seeker." Susa commented scathingly.

Hermione frowned when she saw the flashing circles appear just a millimetre from her nose. Gently pushing it away from her face, she stared at it, at what seemed to be eternity until Eva broke her out of her reverie. She sighed as she blinked several times, the world around her back into focus.

"Harry." She could only say, as she sprinted away from the Ravenclaw table.

* * *

Weeks passed by... as Hermione divided her time between her homework, helping Harry and spending quality time her friends by making trips to Hogsmeade and hanging about school. Despite finding it a little difficult to juggle, Hermione, being the Ravenclaw she was, managed it, quite successfully, and enjoyed it to the full.

Here, she was in the library once more, helping Harry with the First Task, which consisted of defeating a dragon and getting to the egg. She wondered why Harry had left it so last minute, not bothering at all to practise any useful spells. They had decided to meet in the library, and she was already sitting in the corner poring through the books that she deemed necessary for the first task. She glanced up when she heard Harry's familiar footsteps approach her, sighing inwardly when she saw his downcast expression. Ron had completely isolated him, believing that Harry was a cheater, just like the rest of the school.

Deciding to steer the subject away from the subject of Ron and anything to do with isolation, she brought forward various spells.

"You could do this spell," She suggested. "By temporarily blinding the dragon..." She stopped when she noticed Harry shaking his head.

"I can't manage to do that spell in _one_night, Hermione." His downcast expression still had not disappeared.

She tapped his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Harry." She said suddenly.

Harry glanced up from the text he was reading, his hardened expression softening slightly. "It's alright, Hermione. I'll be fine without the idiot."

Suddenly, the Ravenclaw hugged the Gryffindor. "I can't bear to see you like this."

A comfortable silence ensued. Until...

"Hermione... shouldn't we be concentrating for tomorrow? I don't particularly want to end my life tomorrow." Harry said awkwardly, trying to disentangle himself from Hermione's hug. "We have plenty of time for hugs."

Hermione nodded into his shoulder. "Shall we try... a Summoning Charm?"

* * *

_Plush and velvety walls, the colour of red wine, were all you could see. A massive room, oozing elegance and glamour, was lavishly displayed for the public to admire. A room fused with darkness and romance, the perfect setting for an intimate dinner for two. The intricate chandeliers hang low, its crystals and diamonds dazzling brilliantly under the intensity of the sunshine. The window is open, and the birds are chirping their matching melodies._

_Then, a beautiful couple, enter the room together, carrying a small bundle, blanketed in a silk white cloth. We assume that they are the master and lady of the house, for they sit down together on a sofa, which drips of even more extravagance._

_Beautiful, one thinks. The perfect picture to frame up on the living room wall._

_One wonders how much money this couple has to spend. It is obvious that anybody would be envious of them, for the lady was as beautiful as an angel, and the man, as handsome as Adonis._

_The woman rocks the bundle from left to right, singing a beautiful lullaby to the rhythm of the rocking. She gazes at the baby lovingly, and our hearts melt at the sight of this. It seems to be the best romantic movie ever. A film so refined, we wonder what kind of effort has been put into it. No flaws, no mistakes. The actors are beautiful. The setting is wonderful. The soundtrack is exemplary, and cannot be compared to any other soundtracks from any other films. It is just perfection._

_And the one line we all love to hear, which ties up the ends of the unraveled strings of the story…_

"_We __love __you, __darling."  
_

* * *

**A huge apology to all those anticipating for so long, for this episode. I have been taking such a long (and much needed) break, observing all the happenings at Hogwarts.**

**Gosh! Who is the couple? What has just happened? Any ideas at all? Reveal your thoughts, everybody, by providing Ms. Smiles with a review, or two!**

**Does H have a crush on a certain Hufflepuff? Though I see what she sees in him... he is very dreamy. What is wrong with Moody? What has happened? Was he the one who instigated Harry as a champion?**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl  
**

* * *

_**A sneak peek of what happens next time, on the Upper Wizarding Street channel...**_

"And the whole time, I was thinking of you."

_-**A ****new ****romance ****to ****bloom ****in ****the ****air? ****Or ****is ****it ****just ****a ****confession****… ****but ****who's ****admitting ****to ****what?  
**_

* * *

"Why are you rejecting everybody that asks you to the ball? You're not waiting… for a certain **someone **to ask you, are you?"

_- **Who ****is ****waiting ****for ****that ****special ****someone?  
**_

* * *

_**Get your questions answered by tuning in on Wiz-V next time, on Gossip Girl.**_


	19. Confessions And Revelations

_**Chapter Eighteen: Confessions and Revelations**_

**How time has gone by... it is quite precious, is it not? Once upon a time, a very wise person told me, that when time goes by, you cannot get it back. What I got from that was that one has to make the most of it. A return to that same moment would be impossible, thus time is too precious to lose.**

**Meanwhile at Hogwarts, classes continued, despite the ongoing Triwizard Tournament. Rita Skeeter, notorious for her far-fetched articles in the Daily Prophet, was so keen to get information that she temporarily stayed at Hogwarts, ready to pounce on the slightest bit of gossip and twist it into something terrible.**

**We have arrived on the day of the First Task.  
**

* * *

"So you two are betting... on how long Potter will last?" Theo asked in dismay. "That is ridiculous! You're both just being cruel!"

"Well yeah. After all, it's only for fun." Draco said simply. "How many galleons, Blaise?"

"Well, I'll bet that with Potter's annoyingly good luck, he'll get through to the end of the Third Task." Theo said, rolling his eyes.

It was ridiculous that his friends were betting on somebody's good fortune, how long he would last in the next two challenges before him. Heck, if Potter were unlucky enough, they could easily be betting on his life!

"Until the end of the Second Task, Draco. He won't last that long. A galleon to bet?" Blaise offered, smirking.

"Fair enough." Draco conceded, smirking in response.

* * *

It seemed like eternity until the First Task was over. Hermione stood at the entrance of the makeshift Hospital Wing and breathed deeply, anxious but relieved that it was over. Her memories flew back at her, frightening her, even when she saw them for the second time.

_The yelling, the gasping that echoed off the walls of the enclosure as each champion did whatever they could, with their common sense, innovativeness and magical prowess to get past the dragon that they had plucked out of the hat._

_BOOM. BOOM._

_CRASH!_

_Hermione gasped. She couldn't look at the ground, where the dragon and champion were battling to either protect (in the dragon's case), or retrieve (in the champion's case)._

She remembered the look on all four champions' faces when they emerged from the tent structure. _Pale, green and sickly, it was a wonder how they could still keep their composures in check. Being face-to-face with a dragon, with its frequent fire-puffs and whatnot, Hermione was scared for them. She couldn't look at the scene any longer._

_It was simply too much._

_CRASH!_

_And a roar. Harry had finally retrieved his egg. The fastest time of them all._

"Only close friends and family may enter!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked.

Hermione rushed in, looking for only one face. Harry's. Her worry had taken over her usual composed and reasoned mind.

"You're safe!" She hugged him tightly when she arrived at his bedside, with Neville not far behind her. Hearing gasps of breath from Harry, she immediately released him from her hug and gazed at him apologetically.

"You're alright!" Neville exclaimed, glad that his best friend was still in one piece.

Ron had also appeared to see how Harry was doing. It was obvious that he was still a little jealous, but returned to lend some support to Harry.

Hermione decided to leave the three Gryffindors alone, for they had not had their much needed 'guy time' for a prolonged period, as Harry and Hermione had been preparing for his First Task. Neville had joined them sometimes, when he hadn't been accompanying Ron – it had been difficult for him, for it seemed that he had to choose between two sides. He hadn't chosen a side, for Hermione had advised him not to, but it was glaringly obvious that he was leaning towards Harry and Hermione.

Hermione quickly made her way to Fleur, for a hug between friends seemed appropriate for the two. Her smile turned into a frown when she walked away. She knew what she had to do.

Walking slowly, she approached Cedric's bed, where the seat had been just vacated by his mother and father.

"Hermione." Nothing more could be said, and Hermione immediately hugged him.

"You're still in one piece."

Cedric could only laugh. "I am."

It was a little awkward between them, with the fight that they had at the beginning of the year. Slowly, the social butterflies within them began to flutter, and the best friends began to speak to each other once more, just like the old times.

Time passed by, and their chatter had not run out. They hadn't spoken in such a long time.

"It was so scary..." Cedric gestured, trying to explain his emotions when he was in the enclosure. "One moment, I actually thought I was going to die!"

Hermione smiled, nodding and listening. But nothing prepared her for what she was to hear next.

"And the whole time... I was thinking of you."

* * *

She gasped. _How could he?_

She didn't mean to be huddled in the corner, for she was waiting to pounce in after his parents had gone. She smiled to herself, remembering how she had witnessed some quality family time between son and parents. She didn't want to intrude on that. It was some much needed time between the Diggory seniors and junior.

But... now, they've gone. And then _she_ came to sit by him.

She shook her head. _Why am I jealous? Of Cedric and Hermione?_

_Dating?_

_No. That's impossible. They would never be together. They're best friends!_

She took a deep breath. _I can't be like this. Cedric is my boyfriend. I have to let him do stuff without me nagging at him. Hermione is my friend. We're fellow Ravenclaws. We look out for each other._

She blinked, twice, trying to comprehend her thoughts.

_But what did he mean by... what he said just now?  
_

* * *

Hermione sputtered in shock. "_Excuse me_?"

This was after more coherent explanations, until the supposedly intelligent girl from Ravenclaw understood what was being conveyed to her. What was being said to her was already in plain sight; though she couldn't really digest the information in. She was in shock.

"I'm sure you heard me." Cedric replied, looking as solemn as ever.

Hermione felt extremely uncomfortable in this situation. Quickly thinking on her feet, she crossed her arms.

"But... you... you're with Cho!" Hermione spluttered, clearly shocked by what he had to say. "And **we're** best friends! **I'm **friends with your _girlfriend_!"

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Not bad, Granger." Snape commented in his usual silky voice during a Potions class. He wasn't able to find a single fault in her potion to insult. "Competent enough to bottle up."

Everybody in the class glanced up, evidently surprised by the Professor's comment. It was unusual for Snape to compliment any student other than students from his own house. Lisette held two thumbs up, smiling. Adrien winked at the Ravenclaw, who blushed.

"Thank you, sir."

Snape pursed his lips, and attempted to torment somebody else.

"You!" He said in his quiet, yet frightening voice to a student from Hufflepuff. "Get rid of it and start again!"

The class sighed, almost with relief. It seemed as though Snape was being his normal self once more.

* * *

_**IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR HOGWARTS STUDENTS ONLY:**_

_**Please check your specified location according to your House. Assemble at this place at 2pm on Tuesday.**_

_**It is compulsory for students from fourth year and up only.**_

_Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs – Please assemble in the Great Hall._

_Ravenclaws and Slytherins – Please assemble in the Charms Classroom._

_**Students, please be punctual. It is of utmost importance that you attend this meeting.  
**_

* * *

"It's incredibly hard to ask anyone." Harry sighed. "They're all walking in packs and _pointing _at us."

It was true, for the girls had always walked in packs, but in contrast to before anyone knew about the Yule Ball, they were constantly giggling when boys passed by, and comparing what they would wear to the ball.

"And cackling like witches – excuse the pun - when we pass them. Honestly." Neville added, rolling his eyes.

"Who are you taking?" Ron asked.

_Cho. _Harry thought immediately. "I dunno yet."

"Me neither." Neville sighed. "It should be easy for you Harry – you're the champion. Girls will be queuing to ask you to the ball. Or vice-versa."

This was true. But Harry only had one girl in mind to take to the Yule Ball.

And she was taken. By another champion.

The other Hogwarts one.

* * *

It was a few days later until any of the Gryffindor fourth years decided to pluck up the courage and ask somebody to the ball.

Suddenly Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons' champion, flounced by, and next to her, was Hermione smiling and laughing with her.

"How does 'Mione know Fleur?" Ron asked jealously, sounding both jealous and gobsmacked at the same time.

"You jealous, Ron?" Seamus asked looking extremely amused as he attempted to stifle a chuckle.

"No!" Ron denied vehemently, though it seemed he was far away from reality...

"Of course..." Seamus smiled knowingly.

"OI! FLEUR! DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE BALL WITH ME?"

* * *

"Fleur!" Hermione squealed in greeting.

"Mia! It's so good to see you again!" Fleur smiled, beginning to ramble in rapid French. "We must catch up!"

"Anybody asked you to the ball yet?" Hermione smiled, inquiring curiously.

"So many people have been asking me if I want to go with them. But I want to go with someone who likes me** for me**." She sighed."Not because of my Veela looks."

Hermione nodded in understanding. A comfortable silence came between them, and both were grateful for it. Being able to collect her thoughts, Hermione thought about all that had happened so far during the term. She recalled most things positive and negative, the happy and the sad, and the good and the bad.

She was jerked out of her reverie when suddenly, a voice yelled,

"OI! FLEUR! DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE BALL WITH ME?"

Instantly recognising the voice, Hermione cringed as she timidly glanced around, knowing she would see the person with the voice behind her.

_Of course._

_Ronald is in love with her. How did I guess? _She asked herself sarcastically, and immediately started giggling inwardly, for she had always thought that his crush was extremely amusing.

At the corner of her eye, she noticed Fleur blushing slightly (this isn't normally visible for the naked eye, but for Hermione's excellent eyesight, she noticed this) and flinching outwardly.

And she knew what would happen next. The exact events in chronological order. It was inevitable.

Fleur would sniff slightly, offended by Ron's disgusting behaviour. Then, she would stick her nose in the air and begin to walk away, her strides oozing with poise and elegance. The stride was the work of Madame Charpentier. Hermione smiled to herself at this thought.

But in fact, although all of this happened, Hermione completely underestimated Fleur's reaction. Fleur _frowned_. Genuinely frowned in public and strode off quickly, presumably back to where the Beauxbatons students were staying.

Ron was in a daze; a shocked one, as Ginny and Nina rushed to help him after standing in the depths of the shadows, staring at the fourth year Gryffindor in disbelief. Seeing as Fleur had already left, Hermione decided to help her friend.

Taking Ron's arm, Hermione sighed. "This is ridiculous, Ronald. Why did you do that? Did you see how _embarrassed _she was?"

"I don't know. She was just there... and it just... slipped out." He gushed quietly, in a dreamy voice. "Oh, she is so beautiful... a goddess."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're just being stupid, Ron."

It wasn't long until they returned to the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Neville met them at the door, for they had just returned from somewhere.

"What happened?" Harry asked in concern.

"OI! Ravenclaws aren't allowed in the Gryffindor common room. Go back to your own!" Fred Weasley shouted jokingly from the corner.

Hermione rolled her eyes when she noticed who had said it. "I'm helping your brother, Fred."

"He is an idiot, isn't he?" George chuckled.

Hermione ignored them, as she, Nina, Ginny and Neville settled Ron on the deep red sofa. Harry was patting Ron's shoulder, as if he thought that Ron would be comforted by this action.

Neville's brows furrowed in confusion. All misunderstanding was clarified when he saw Hermione mouth 'Fleur' and 'Yule Ball' to him. He shook his head. Ron was hopeless.

"I don't know what came over me." Ron breathed wildly as he put his face in his hands, moaning with evident embarrassment.

Ginny and Hermione fought back giggles when they discreetly glanced at each other.

* * *

"You're pretty, 'Mione." Neville said one day, out of the blue. "It's so hard to ask a girl because they are always in packs. Any advice for us?"

Harry nodded eagerly, knowing how one of his best friends was so popular. Clearly in his mind, he needed advice from somebody different to whom he normally hung around (i.e. the Gryffindors).

Hermione smiled with a gleam in her eyes. "Is that your way of asking me for a favour to arrange something for you?"

Neville blinked, and Harry had one of those expressions, those things where you would think, _now, why didn't I think of that?_

"Of course! I know who to ask for you!" Hermione grinned, the wheels of her mind whirring rapidly.

Neville and Harry sighed, knowing that the suggestions would probably get them thinking about Hermione's questionable taste in 'nice girls'. Not that they weren't nice though, just that some of them were just downright weird sometimes...

* * *

It wasn't long until Tuesday.

"What?" They said in unison, shocked.

"Yes, Mister Zabini, Miss Granger. Do you have a problem with that?" Professor McGonagall asked primly.

"But Professor, I had plans!" Blaise protested. "I've already asked somebody to be my partner for the Ball!"

"And so have I!" Hermione chimed in, looking as though she would never see the light of day again.

"Well, then you'll have to _make _a compromise then, won't you?" Professor Snape asked, his eyes betraying a slight disappointment in his favourite non-Slytherin student, for she had not said much.

"You two have been chosen to be the emcees for the evening, along with Miss Evanston and Mister Ivey because you have the best relationships with the participating schools, due to the exchange programme." Professor McGonagall added unnecessarily.

* * *

Outside, Hermione frowned as she walked in step with Blaise on their way to the important meeting scheduled now.

"No offence-"

"Well, offence has _already _been taken since you said that."

Hermione gave him a look, as if to say that he was just being annoying at the moment when she wanted desperately to say something out loud.

"I honestly thought that we wouldn't be stuck together for the Ball." Hermione admitted, sighing.

This caused Blaise to stop briefly in his tracks, glance at Hermione expressionlessly, and resume walking.

"I mean, okay, I understand that we had to present them at the opening ceremony. But really, at the Ball as well? Surely we're allowed to enjoy our time with someone else?"

"Who's the special guy that has asked you?" Blaise teased, aware that Hermione was never normally like this unless there was some sort of a motive. In this case, the romantic factor that was the most plausible reason for her reaction.

Hermione's response was a sigh. She couldn't be bothered to tell him who it was, considering Blaise _knew _him.

"Adrien asked you?"

See.

This time, it was her turn to give him a steely glance, which seemed to say, "it's none of your business!" She simply nodded and pushed the door open.

As she went in, she didn't notice the expression that had clouded over Blaise's face. It was undefinable, as though he didn't know whether he should be amused, jealous or regretful.

Ah, teen love. It's always complicated.

* * *

Everyone was wondering why this meeting was so important. Hermione walked towards the direction of the crowd, where all the Ravenclaws and Slytherins were waiting (patiently) to enter. She and Eva met up with Marietta and Cho, who were already waiting to enter the Charms classroom.

Draco Malfoy and Theo Nott were queuing in front of them. Hermione noticed that one extra member from their 'clique' was missing. Blaise Zabini.

She saw Madame Charpentier at the side, having quickly made her way over from the conversation with the three Professors, who were discussing something serious with each other. Madame Charpentier was rambling in rapid French to the missing member from the Slytherin Three, Blaise Zabini. Hermione attempted to hide a smile when she heard audible words from the conversation. It seemed as though Madame Charpentier was admonishing the fourth year Slytherin for not keeping up his dance lessons, for she was criticising his dance steps from the opening ceremony of the Triwizard Tournament.

Noticing Hermione's barely concealed smile, he nodded curtly in greeting, glaring slightly at her.

When Hermione went into the room, she noticed that the room had evidently been enlarged to accommodate the numbers of students and staff alike.

Sitting down in the Ravenclaw area with Eva, Marietta and Cho, with Padma and Susa somehow having disappeared after their conversation, nowhere to be seen, Hermione waited in anticipation to see what this supposed meeting was about. She hoped her speculation was wrong.

All chatter ceased when Professors Snape, Flitwick and Vector strode in.

"We will not shame Hogwarts." Professor Flitwick began.

"Everything will be perfect for the Yule Ball." Professor Vector continued.

Then Hermione realised something. This was a dance lesson.

_Madame Charpentier wouldn't have been chatting to the Professors... unless we needed some etiquette lessons or something. _She thought dryly to herself.

"You will be learning how to waltz." Professor Snape said coolly.

Many eyes (mostly from Ravenclaw) widened, for this was not what they had been expecting. It was not their area of expertise.

"You have to be joking!" A male student from Ravenclaw commented, albeit boldly, for Professor Snape was present in the room.

"No, I am not, Dooley. We are the host school and thus we must make a competent effort to impress." Professor Snape said coolly, sneering slightly. "It's a _Ball_."

"Mister Zabini. Miss Granger." Professor Vector said suddenly. Hermione looked up, thinking that she was in trouble.

"We noticed your magnificent display of waltzing at the beginning of the year, for the opening ceremony." She continued, and Hermione knew what was coming. "Would you mind coming up here and setting a bar of excellence to your fellow students?"

Blaise and Hermione caught the smiling gazes (smirking glances, in the Slytherin's case) of their friends, encouraging them to go up to the large space at the front. Blaise noticed Draco and Theo's eyes gleaming teasingly, both knowing of his admiration for the Ravenclaw.

Many of the Slytherins had looks of disbelief on their faces, for they did not expect a pureblood like Blaise Zabini to be going anywhere near somebody like Hermione Granger.

"Take your positions." Professor Vector said in an authoritative voice.

Blaise and Hermione stepped in front of each other, staring unblinkingly, as if trying to penetrate a large hole in each other's faces.

"Look at all that tension!" Theo remarked, in a whisper.

"I know! I could use a butter knife to cut through that tension!" Draco said.

Then, waltz music filled the room. The Slytherin and Ravenclaw danced.

* * *

The dance was over fairly quickly. Bowing and curtseying, the pair held hands... a moment too long. Blaise overheard an 'ahem' from Draco and Theo, who were staring at him amusedly. Quickly letting go of each other's hands, the Slytherin and Ravenclaw looked everywhere, but at each other.

Very much embarrassed, Hermione made her way back to the Ravenclaw area, where many of her classmates swamped her with praises. She smiled modestly, denying her good talent at the same time.

* * *

"So who are you going to the Ball with, 'Mi?" Padma asked casually, one evening in the common room.

Hermione glanced up from her Charms essay, and sighed, remembering what had happened that day.

_Adrien had approached her in the library, cleverly obstructing the hunched figure of Viktor Krum, who was sitting on the next table. He was smiling flirtatiously, as usual. It wouldn't be Adrien if he wasn't smiling that way._

"_Hermione, my dear." He smiled._

"_Adrien," Hermione smiled demurely in return, and glanced down to her essay._

_He made small talk with the Ravenclaw, who nodded and giggled at the right places._

"_I missed you, Mia." He said softly, his voice almost inaudible. "More than you could imagine."_

_She glanced up in shock, so quickly, that some of her curls flicked into her eyes. She did not know what to say at all._

_Then everything stopped. Her brain, her body could not focus at all._

_She stared at him, her eyes glazed over. It seemed as though she had fallen head over heels for the Beauxbatons student, but the Hermione we know doesn't fall in love that easily._

_Then, as though Adrien was feeling slightly desperate, for his confidence seemed to fail him just this once, he spoke in a small voice. "Mia. Say something. Please."_

_Finally, Hermione's brains began to function again normally, and if one were imagining hard enough, they'd be able to see the wheels of her mind whirring rapidly._

"_I missed you too." She replied, gazing deeply in his eyes._

_This answer seemed to return Adrien his confidence. To an outsider, this scene would seem as though the two were a couple, for they were sitting extremely close to each other, gazing 'lovingly', as it would seem, at each other._

"_Mademoiselle Granger, would you do me the honour of going to the Yule Ball with me?" He asked, in a slightly sheepish voice._

_Hermione's eyes brightened, for somebody had finally asked her to the Ball. Somebody... she may admire at the moment. But we don't know, for sure._

"_Of course, I'd be honoured, Adrien." Hermione smiled demurely, with Madame Charpentier's etiquette lessons flying back at her._

_Suddenly, Adrien jumped up and gave a loud whoop."Thank you, Mia!"_

_Hermione blinked, wondering what Madame Charpentier would think if she saw such behaviour from one of her prize students._

"_Shhh!" Madam Pince hissed, glaring at the French boy._

"_I'm sorry, Madame." Adrien said charmingly. "I just find the library... a very happy place to be."_

_Seemingly satisfied with the charming Beauxbatons' student's answer, she turned away, a ghost of a smile on her face._

"_You charmer." Hermione's eyes twinkled, as she shook her head. "Nobody gets away with that."_

"_It's what I do best, Mia." He grinned._ "_I'll see you soon." _

_Winking at the girl who had coloured slightly, he gave her a light peck on the cheek and left the library with a bright smile on his face._

Hermione was shaken out of her thoughts when she felt a nudge in the elbow.

"Daydreaming, again?" Susa asked teasingly. "About who now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No." Hermione noticed that Eva was unusually happy, and normally, she would not squeal at all.

"So who are you going with?" Padma pressed, eager to know who her best friend would be going with.

"Adrien." She said simply.

"Not Diggory?" Susa asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head. "He's going with Cho."

"Not _the _Adrien Rousseau from Beauxbatons! You know him?" Eva squealed, her eyes betraying what Hermione had been suspecting.

_She has a date to the Ball. I shall have to ask her who it is later._

_Time to shock them. _She smiled mischievously.

"Well yeah. I was on the exchange programme last year, remember those months of my absence?" Hermione said, deadpanned. "Heck, I even _kissed _the guy!"

_Information they don't know._ _And I'm only springing it on them right now._

_What a great friend I am._

"WHAT?" Three voices bounced off the walls in shock and surprise.

* * *

"So who are you going with to the ball, Blaise?" Draco asked curiously.

The Italian boy sighed. "I have to be the emcee with Granger. And I'm going with Daphne. But I'll be pretty much stuck with Granger the whole night."

Draco flicked his hand dismissively. "She's not too much to handle, is she?"

"She's alright I suppose..." Blaise trailed off, not knowing how to answer the question.

"Exactly!" Theo butt in. "If she's not too much, then you can tolerate her, right?"

Draco sighed, and then his eyes gleamed with amusement. "This is the issue of Blaise _liking_ Granger, eh?"

Blaise blinked, and if you stared at his cheeks closely, they were slightly tinged pink.

* * *

"NO WAY!" Susa shrieked happily, clapping her hands with delight.

"This is the ultimate romance – between two schools! And currently - competing ones – oh, the star-crossed lovers! Forbidden romance!" Padma squealed.

Hermione could only roll her eyes. "It's not Romeo and Juliet. It's probably just going to be a fling."

"And he's always winking at her." Eva said slyly. "He is charming."

Padma gushed dreamily. "If only I could have such a wonderful date."

* * *

Draco's eyes widened, for he hadn't meant it so seriously, but a joke. _It isn't true, is it?_

"Blaise... you _do know _that I was only joking, right?"

"Oh, gosh." Theo said, sounding a little surprised. "It's true, isn't it Blaise?"

The Italian boy sighed. "She's going with Adrien."

Theo frowned, his mind rummaging through all the people at Hogwarts - in their year and above - with the name Adrien. He could find none. "You don't mean... from Beauxbatons?"

A single nod.

"Oh, he's supposed to be charming and good looking, right?"

"THEO!"

"For your information, I am not attracted to him. Just stating what the Slytherin girls have been _simpering _about all week. I couldn't _help _but overhear!"

* * *

Hermione tossed, turned and twisted in her bed, in a fit of discomfort. She moaned quietly into her pillow, irritated by how her dreams had been invading her mind as of late. Tiredly opening her eyes, Hermione stared at the ceiling, with many questions swirling in her mind.

_Why am I having these dreams? Do they have some sort of a meaning... to me?_

_Who is that baby? Who are the couple?_

She shook her head.

_No. They can't have any meaning to me. I've never experienced any sadness or sorrow. I'm leading a very happy life._

_Then... why am I having these dreams?_

Soon, she drifted off to bed, the dream that had been haunting her for months returning into her dream vision.

"_She's beautiful, isn't she, darling?" The woman had a voice, the sound of wind chimes blowing in the breeze. It was lovely to listen to._

_The woman was sitting on a plush armchair, cradling a bundle in her arms. Assuming the man was her husband, he was cradling another bundle in his arms._

"_Yes. This is perfect." The man replied, smiling broadly in happiness._

_-Bright flashes blinded her vision._

"_No." The same woman insisted. It seems here, that the dream has fast-forwarded us to another time._

"_We must. It's too dangerous for her here." The man argued, persuasively._

"_Where will she go? It's just as unsafe if she leaves to go somewhere else." The woman argued firmly._

_A flash._

_Then the man and the woman were standing in front of a red door._

"_I love you, darling."_

Only darkness remained as the baby's cries echoed in her mind.

* * *

It wasn't long until Christmas arrived. Hermione was standing in front of the mirror with Eva, admiring her dress.

"You look so beautiful, 'Mi." Eva smiled sincerely.

"You look gorgeous, Evie." Hermione returned the compliment just as sincerely.

"We'll dazzle everyone to death tonight with our beauty, girls." Susa strode in the room, looking stunning in her gold dress.

"Of course, Susa. Always the vain one." Padma said sarcastically when she entered the room, rushing around, looking for the necessary essentials she needed for the evening.

"It's true!" Susa protested, smiling nonetheless.

* * *

"There's no point fretting, Blaise. We're going no matter what you say. Remember, you have to emcee? And _dance _with Granger? The highlight of _your _evening." Draco asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his last question.

"That is not the highlight of the night." Blaise said indignantly, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

"Of course it isn't." Theo said, rolling his eyes.

Blaise glared at him, and Theo could only say, "I can tell by your eyes."

* * *

The clacking of heels echoed on the rickety staircase as Hermione and her friends descended down the stairs.

Nobody in sight in the common room. It seemed as though all the boys, fourth year and above, had all made their way to the entrance of the Great Hall, waiting for their partners. Stepping out of the portrait hole, Hermione felt quite self-conscious in her dress, for she was not used to feeling so _feminine_.

Walking slowly to the direction of the Great Hall, she felt an impending sense of nervousness about to take over her. Shaking such emotions out of her mind, Hermione stepped towards the staircase towards the Great Hall, already hearing a buzz of chatter and laughter. She saw that her friends had already met up with their escorts. Susa seemed to be reluctant in meeting up with her escort, for she was with Harry Potter.

Hermione smiled at the memory when she was trying to persuade Harry to go with Susa to the ball.

"_Harry! I know who you can go with!" Hermione said excitedly one day._

"_Who?"_

"_Susa!" She exclaimed._

"_No." Harry responded immediately. Hermione's shoulders sagged. Harry cringed. He didn't like seeing her unhappy._

"_Why not?"_

"_We hate each other... remember?"_

"_Only a slight problem. That can be fixed in no time!" She grinned optimistically._

"'_**Only a slight problem**__'. Right 'Mione. A slight problem." Harry said, deadpanned._

She giggled.

* * *

"Is that... Hermione Granger?" Pansy Parkinson glanced up curiously, wondering if the beautiful girl walking down with all the grace and poise imaginable was the Ravenclaw fourth year.

Almost all chatter ceased when they saw the girl in a beautiful dress, glide down the staircase. The whole scene with the girl coming down the staircase in the beautiful dress with such poise seemed to be like a page torn out of a fairytale.

Like perfection, if not more.

* * *

**Is the girl really our own H? Or is it somebody else? And does our dreamy Hufflepuff, C, like our H instead of Ravenclaw's C?**

**Slytherin's B and our own H: a romance between the two? Share your thoughts! Or would a romance between the dreamy C and H be more appropriate? Or H and Beauxbatons' A?**

**And those dreams! What could be happening to H? Flashbacks to the past? Sudden memory flashes?**

**Share the love, by writing a review!**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl  
**

* * *

_**In the next episode of Gossip Girl…**_

"I hate you." She said, her eyes narrowing with annoyance.

"And I hate you too." He replied, smiling.

_- **Who are the couple? Can you name them?  
**_

* * *

She saw red. Seeing her in his arms, made her feel nauseous.

"Hold me closer." She said, almost forcefully.

_- **Who is jealous of whom? Can you guess?**_

_**Tune in to Wiz-V, next time on Gossip Girl.**_


	20. Heartbroken

_**Chapter Nineteen: Heartbroken**_

**I do not want to delay your excitement in witnessing the famed Yule Ball of the Triwizard Tournament, and so without further ado, I present the scene on the grand staircase, where the girl walks down with grace and poise, to the awe of everybody else awaiting their partners downstairs.  
**

* * *

"Look at that girl!" Somebody stage-whispered in awe. "A goddess in the making."

"Someone said it's Hermione Granger!"

"I have to reserve a dance with her." Somebody said determinedly.

"Hermione Granger? No! She's such a plain Jane!"

"_Plain Jane_? She's one quarter of the _Ravenclaw Quartet. _Are you _blind_?"

* * *

"Goodness, it is!" Theo exclaimed with fake excitement, all a show for Blaise, who had only just arrived and had only heard the last two bits of the conversation.

Draco smirked slightly. "Look up."

Blaise reluctantly glanced up, and saw a girl, as dazzling as an angel. He gasped inwardly, masking his face into an expression of indifference, and went to the bottom of the stairs.

"My fair lady." He mock bowed, taking her hand and kissing it. "Don't you clean up rather well, Granger."

Hermione flushed slightly, rolling her eyes good-naturedly at his chivalrous act. She composed herself in time before the Slytherin could see. Smirking at him, she answered. "Likewise, Zabini."

All eyes were on them as they entered into the winter wonderland that was the Great Hall.

* * *

Harry was standing in an awkward silence with Susa, who had her arms crossed, but looked stunning anyway. Mesmerised by the Ravenclaw's drop-dead gorgeous looks, Harry decided to look anywhere but at the girl, for he knew he would act all 'gaga', as the muggles put it, over her.

Then, Professor McGonagall's voice filled in the silence between them.

"Champions. Please assemble to the entrance for the opening dance." Professor McGonagall called to Fleur, Cedric, Viktor and Harry.

"I hate you. Why do I have to be with you, tonight, of all nights?" She said, her eyes narrowing with annoyance, though there was a small glint in her eyes Harry couldn't decipher.

"And I hate you too." He replied, smiling.

"You are so infuriating! And you know it!" Susa said, frustrated, but in a quiet voice.

They had arrived on the dance floor. Waltz music had come on, and Susa was still fuming slightly at Harry, who rolled his eyes inwardly.

_Why Hermione arranged this, I'll have no idea. For the rest of my life, however long it will be, I'll have no idea._

_I suppose I'll have to try enjoy my night with the girl, no matter how much I dislike her. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing._

Then Harry grinned, seeming to have made his mind. "Take my hand, won't you? It's embarrassing that we're the only ones as still as statues."

* * *

"Presenting... the emcees for the evening!" A loud and giddy male voice announced from out of nowhere.

Hermione, Blaise, Ina and Darren had stepped onto the glittering ballroom dance floor that normally accommodated house tables, and began dancing.

Blaise felt the gazes of two particular Slytherins, his best friends, Draco and Theo, who were grinning madly at him. He smirked, and relished his moments of dancing with her.

Hermione was glancing around, and smiled when she saw Harry and Susa dancing together, looking pretty comfortable in the presence of each other.

It wasn't long until the Ravenclaw and Slytherin began to make conversation with the other, reminiscing their time last year at Beauxbatons.

"It was an experience to remember, wasn't it?" Hermione smiled, not feeling as uncomfortable in the Slytherin's presence anymore.

"Yes, it was." Blaise agreed. "But Charpentier's lessons were the worst."

Hermione giggled. "Yes, it was, wasn't it? All that back straightening and walking with books. You should have seen Lisette master it at first try!"

Blaise smirked. "The girl is a perfectionist and a natural at everything."

_Just like you, _he thought.

_Since when did I get all soppy and mushy? Slytherins are not like this. At least, they're not supposed to be.  
_

* * *

Hermione and Blaise had made their way up to the stage, and had announced the commencement of the ball, much to everybody's excitement.

The _real _dancing had begun, and Hermione had been escorted by Adrien to the dance floor. Despite this, it wasn't long until she saw red. Seeing her in his arms, made her feel nauseous.

_Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, and Cho Chang of Ravenclaw. There's nobody more perfect in Hogwarts' history than them._

"Hold me closer." She said, almost forcefully, not thinking about what she had said.

Adrien blinked. "Excuse me?" It seemed as if he could not believe what he had just heard.

She moved closer to the Beauxbatons student and glared at him. "You heard me."

"What is wrong with you, Mia?" Adrien asked, sounding slightly incredulous. "You weren't like this before when we came in."

Hermione's glare softened, for she was taking out her anger on him, who didn't deserve it. "It's nothing."

"No. It isn't just nothing." He said softly, glancing over her shoulder as he looked towards the direction Hermione had been trying (and if possible, would have succeeded) to penetrate a hole in. "You're jealous of Cho with Diggory."

Studying Hermione's facial expression was just like reading an open book. The jealousy wasn't bcause of him.

"No I'm not." Hermione said quietly, twirling into his arms. On the corner of her eye, she noticed Madame Charpentier nodding, looking extremely pleased with their dancing.

"You're in denial. You like Diggory. It's true." As much as it hurt him to say it, he knew he had to. Just to make sure. He needed to know.

She flinched. It was true. He knew he was right.

He smiled slightly, but sadly. Underneath the flirtatious, seemingly strong and overconfident exterior, lay feelings of insecurity and a complete introvert. And his feelings for Hermione. But she liked somebody else. _Of course. It would be Diggory. Handsome, intelligent, and one of the Hogwarts champions._

_He's everything I'm not.  
_

* * *

The ball seemed to be a success. Cedric grinned as he stepped; once, twice, with Cho on the dance floor. He was enjoying himself.

Then he saw it. His eyes widened with shock.

"What's wrong, Cedric?" Cho asked, with slight concern clouding her voice.

"Nothing." He said quickly, frowning at the sight of the supposed 'new' couple as Adrien pulled Hermione closer to him. She didn't seem to mind at all.

_Rousseau and Hermione. Are they really together?_

Extremely annoyed with the turn of events of the Yule Ball, he pulled Cho closer to him, twirling her out, and back into his arms.

_We'll see what she says about that.  
_

* * *

"Since you like him so much, Mia." Adrien said suddenly, back to his flirtatious self. "I wouldn't mind… you know, dancing…"

_If she likes him, then I shall have to relish these moments with her._

Hermione looked at him understandingly, with a slight expression of gratitude on her face. "Thank you, Adrien."

Obeying the Ravenclaw's wishes, he pulled the girl close to him, discreetly inhaling her perfume. It was a lovely floral scent, mixed with a hint of vanilla.

_This is nice. _He thought.

Observing Diggory from the corner of his eye, he saw the older boy frown deeply at the sight of him and Hermione dancing quite closely to each other.

"Look at Diggory." He whispered, twirling Hermione to allow her a glimpse of the Hufflepuff. "It seems to be working."

Hermione beamed, almost triumphantly. Adrien's heart fluttered at the sight of Hermione's happiness, even though it was only for a moment and wasn't even directed towards him.

* * *

The bright fire that had been burning inside him since early that night was instantly put out.

She would never like him. Ever. He was a Slytherin, she was a Ravenclaw. They were totally different. They were from contrasting backgrounds, for he was the son of one of the most prominent purebloods in Wizarding Britain, and she, a mere muggleborn, still attempting to pave a good and successful path through the magical world that was so new to her.

_Why do I always fall for the wrong ones? __Always… the ones that most people disapprove of._

Theo noticed the slightly forlorn expression on his friend's face, and his eyes scanned the room for the Ravenclaw girl. She was dancing extremely closely to Adrien Rousseau, laughing happily.

"I'm sorry, Blaise." He muttered, and patted the Italian boy's shoulder.

"Never mind her." Blaise said suddenly, smiling dazzlingly. "I'm not going to let this stupid crush ruin my evening."

Theo smirked. It was the first time that he had acknowledged the crush he had for the Ravenclaw out loud.

But the Blaise he knew from before was back again.

* * *

"You like Cho, don't you?" Susa asked, out of the blue, as she drank her fruit punch, which was sour and sweet mixed together to create a tropical blend.

Harry blinked several times, as the world came into focus around him. "Wha-?"

"You like Cho." Susa repeated herself as if talking to a two-year-old.

"How do you know?" Harry asked immediately, his eyes widening at his blunder a few moments later, for he had revealed himself. "I do. So why do you ask?"

Susa smiled weakly, having turned quite pale. She took a sip from her glass, and tasted only sour punch. _Why didn't it have that happy sweetness to it?_

"I was just wondering. The rumours around school… you know how the gossip gets around here. It's a grapevine!" She attempted to defend herself swiftly.

"There's no way you would know. Somebody must have told you." Harry sighed, already stressed out by everything.

Susa was silent.

"You know what, Suse. We shouldn't be worrying about who likes whom right now. Just enjoy the night, without any worries and stress…" He trailed off, as a slow song filled the room.

Susa was nodding in agreement, and closed her eyes, letting the music take over her mind and body.

"Would you like to dance, Suse?" He asked, grinning sheepishly.

Susa smiled, seeming to forget what had just occurred between them as colour rushed to her face. "Of course."

* * *

Soon, the slow song had finished. The lights had brightened from its dim state, and there was more chatter and buzz to the room.

Pansy was standing by the refreshment table, waiting for Draco, who was just finishing off a supposedly 'private' conversation with Adrian Pucey. She rolled her eyes at the word. Then she saw Hermione Granger, supposedly the image of perfection this evening, complete with her intelligence and wit, darting out of the Great Hall, with the air of despair wafting from her facial expression.

Not able to comprehend what had just happened, Pansy disregarded the running Ravenclaw, who she didn't particularly despise, unlike the Trio of Gryffindor, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom.

_Bumbling idiots, they are. _She thought disgustedly. _At least Longbottom is decent though. Despite this, his choice of friend is despicable._

Sighing slightly sadly, she decided she was bored, for Draco had been neglecting her the whole evening. She walked out of the Great Hall, alone, and into the air of the cold.

She rolled her eyes at the sight of snogging couples, mostly students from the older years, and breathed in the cold, but fresh air of the outside. She was mesmerised by the winter at Hogwarts (she had been awe of the Hogwarts winter since first year), she smiled a genuine smile, admiring the snowflakes falling softly to the ground.

The tranquility of this winter wonderland was ruined when she heard distinctive sniffles and quiet sobs from the corner. Determined to be rid of this noise polluter, she walked towards the source of the irritating sound, pausing to shout at the person for ruining her peace… when she noticed Hermione Granger hunched over, sobbing to the ground.

Making the decision to try being nice, just for the night, Pansy crouched next to the Ravenclaw. "What's wrong?"

Hermione glanced up quickly, her eyes all watery. "What is it to you, Parkinson?"

"Just wanted to try being nice for a while." She said honestly in response. "So tell me, Granger. What's troubling you so much?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "I've never seen you being this nice, Parkinson."

Pansy stared at her. The Ravenclaw trusted her already? Or so she had implied with that sentence... Hermione saw the look on the Slytherin's face, and hastily added, "I don't trust you still."

The Slytherin raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Of course..."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So why are you out here? Moping like me? Or are you just taking a walk?"

Pansy sighed. "You wouldn't understand. With due respect to your parentage and muggleborn background, of course."

"Is that supposed to be really an issue, Pansy?" Hermione asked softly. "Is that really necessary?"

Pansy stared at her, confused.

"Blood issues. I mean, this night is supposed to be special. Everybody's letting down their hair. And we're out here, depressed. Everybody is enjoying themselves in there."

As if Hermione had persuaded her, Pansy began to reveal everything, without knowing why she was doing so at all.

"They don't understand that it's not what I want. My parents have always been for the pureblood supremacy. But it's not the case. I mean, you're the classic example in this situation. You are muggleborn and intelligent. You achieve the highest marks in the whole year. Draco and Blaise can't even beat you. Only Potions, because Professor Snape is partial. And that barely even counts at all. That's why I'm now questioning everything I've been spoon-fed since birth." She rambled in a rush, breathing heavily.

"And that's not all. Tonight, Draco's been neglecting me. It's ridiculous how he's always in a 'private conversation' with some Slytherin or another. My friends – they think I'm way too 'pureblooded', if that's even a word. No! Not like that, Granger!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide. "They think that I'm so into these pureblood ideals, when I'm not. You see, their families are neutral, though they're leaning more to the Light. They just don't understand at all."

Hermione blinked at her, not entirely sure what to say to the girl at all.

"Look. I've told you my problems. You tell me yours. It's only fair." Pansy said firmly, seeming not to want to take no for an answer.

Hermione sighed. Pansy's problems were less fickle and petty than hers.

"Just tell me." Pansy said reassuringly.

Hermione sighed, her red eyes still puffy, and told the Slytherin everything.

"Now, I don't know why I told you all those things-" Hermione paused, noticing Pansy wanted to interject something into their deep and personal conversation.

"Me neither." She managed to say.

Hermione glared at her, as if to give her a was-that-all-you-were-going-to-say kind of look. Pansy had a sheepish expression on her face.

"But nothing is to leave this corridor." Hermione said clearly and determinedly. "Not even to your friends."

Pansy nodded earnestly and couldn't help but add, "And I can't believe Diggory asked you to the ball. You had already been asked by Rousseau, and accepted his invitation, and then _Diggory _asked you!"

Hermione seemed to take a little offence at this and asked defensively, "What do you mean by that?"

"Why are you doing speaking to _Parkinson_, of all people, 'Mione?" A dismayed voice came from behind.

_Ron._ Hermione flinched and panicked inwardly.

_What to do? What to do? How can we cover this up? Her panic-stricken eyes motioned Pansy to do something, to defend what had conspired between them, for she did not know what to do at all._

"Granger! I can't believe you!" Pansy shrieked all of a sudden, crying a few crocodile tears, and swatting Hermione in the arm in the process.

The Ravenclaw looked extremely bewildered for a moment at the Slytherin's pathetic slapping on her arm, and then she understood. "You are so mean, you'll never have any friends."

Ron was staring blankly at Hermione, who was mock-glaring at Pansy, who had raised an eyebrow in distinct disbelief and slight dismay.

_So much for being the smartest witch in our year..._

Soon Ron left seeming not entirely convinced, but was bored, and Pansy rolled her eyes. "Honestly Granger. Slytherins _are _supposed to be mean. And don't take personal offence about that comment before – I couldn't help myself. I thought Diggory was with Chang. That's all."

Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth as she disregarded Pansy's comment about Cedric and Cho.

"I forgot." She said, sounding quite embarrassed.

* * *

Soon, the day of the second task had arrived. Again, Hermione was nervous for Cedric and Harry (and Fleur, for they were friends) and paced about the Ravenclaw common room, breathing deeply.

"Calm down, 'Mi. They'll survive and you know it." Padma said, in a comforting voice.

Hermione opened her mouth, about to say something, when Eva beat her to it. "It's not Hermione Granger if she doesn't worry at all."

Susa laughed. "Agreed."

_Six minutes past the hour dot._

Suddenly, Cedric burst from the waters, panting and clutching Cho's shoulders close to himself, as if he was searching for some form of protection. Pansy gave Hermione a meaningful but sympathetic look, despite the fact that the Ravenclaw did not have a downcast expression of any sort.

_That's good. _Pansy thought.

"How long do you think Potter will last in the Lake?" Blaise asked in a jolly mood.

"Or will he pull out from the competition?" Draco responded absently, feeling a slight tug in his stomach.

_Something is wrong. And I don't know what it is._

"He'll have Lady Luck by him. He always has annoyingly good luck when he is thrown in these types of situations." Theo sighed, seeming slightly envious by Harry's constant good luck.

_Eight minutes past the hour dot._

Viktor Krum seemed to jump from the bottom of the lake and up into the air, for everybody to see. His transfigured head (a shark!) impressed the judges, as well as the audience, many of whom wished they could do such an advanced level of transfiguration.

Only two people were left in the lake. The Beauxbatons champion and the other Hogwarts champion.

_Ten minutes past the hour dot. _No sign of the last two champions about to emerge from the lake any time soon.

A loud alarm went off, and some wizard went up to the lake and with the wave of his wand, Fleur Delacour was back on land, a terrified expression on her face.

"The grindylows and merpeople," she cried loudly. "They wouldn't let me through to my sister!"

Hermione froze to the spot, for she had been glancing around the centre stage and noticed Cedric and Cho together. Pansy noticed this, and decided to bring it up later. The Ravenclaw and the Slytherin have grown closer together since Christmas, and could even be described as good friends.

_Thirty minutes past the hour dot._

Everybody gasped as Harry burst from the waters of the lake, shoving Ron and Gabrielle, who was Fleur's sister, quickly to shore.

And now the second task was officially over.

* * *

Stressed from homework and helping Harry master spells for the third task (right now during her break to get something to eat, she had delegated this to Neville, who was probably competent enough to help Harry), Hermione decided to take a trip to the kitchens, to visit some of the house elves working at Hogwarts and eat a yummy chocolate fudge cake.

Not expecting to socialise with anybody, she was taken aback when she saw the familiar figure of a Slytherin fourth year. She sighed and rolled her eyes inwardly at a possible confrontation.

"Granger, my dear! How are you doing?" Blaise Zabini exclaimed happily.

_Since when were Slytherins ever this happy? _She wondered to herself.

"I'm doing well, thank you Zabini. How are you today?" Hermione felt that it was polite to return the question to the Slytherin.

He smiled. "I'm feeling rather happy today."

_I noticed. _Hermione thought to herself.

_So much for stating the obvious, Zabini! _He reprimanded himself_._

A silence came between the pair when neither knew what to say to the other at all.

A bunch of house elves crowded around Hermione, asking for her order. "A chocolate fudge cake, please. I really feel like having something sweet today."

Blaise raised his eyebrows. "Not weight-conscious, are you Granger? I've heard from the grapevine that Lang starves herself for days to get that figure of hers."

Hermione suppressed a grin. To be frank, that was not too far off the truth. But she felt defensive around him anyway. "It's only a treat for today."

Seeming to have not heard the Ravenclaw speak, he added, "And apparently Patil conceals her fat and flabby tummy with a tummy concealer spell... You know Carter well. What does she do to keep fit?"

Hermione couldn't conceal her grin this time. "Quidditch." She said honestly, grinning widely. Blaise noticed and smiled inwardly.

* * *

_A loud scream of pain._

"_I could just die... how about I give up?" The woman that had let out the cry of pain said weakly, seemingly about to give up._

_There were two women on either side of her, and it is assumable that the one on the left, the older one, is her mother, and the one on her left is her sister. Despite this, the women on either side of her looked nothing alike to the woman on the bed, who was sweating, and spots of red had begun to appear on both of her cheeks._

"_Don't give up, sister. Think of the happy family you'll have."_

"_Darling, think of the beautiful grandchild I'll have!"_

_The woman seated on the bed paused, staring at her mother with slight annoyance and disbelief. She always thought of herself, and it wasn't surprising that she was only thinking of herself in her current situation._

"_PUSH!"_

_Soon, a baby's cry could be heard throughout the room._

"_I want to see him." The woman on the bed said determinedly, but not before clutching at her stomach, screaming in pain._

_Her mother waved her wand; for once she was worried about her daughter. The tip of her wand turned pink. Her perfect face was marred with sweat, and she sighed._

"_Darling. You have twins. Your daughter is coming."_

_The woman on the bed's eyes widened in surprise, and then they scrunched in defeat, for the pain wasn't to go away._

"_Now you know why you were so big." Her sister exclaimed. "You have twins!"_

_The woman on the bed attempted to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Her usual angelic face was sweaty and tired. "Thanks, sister." She said sarcastically._

"_And think of all the pretty clothes you could spoil her with." Her sister added excitedly._

_The woman on the bed paused again, and scowled at her sister, who was squeezing her hand tightly. "I need to go through all the pain again."_

_flash forward._

"_And here are your babies."_

"_They're beautiful." She was crying many tears of joy. "They're my babies!"_

_Her husband came in with a wide grin on his face. "Darling, we have both a son and a daughter! It's just what you wanted!"_

"_The perfect family." She smiled weakly, leaning against his shoulder, falling asleep.  
_

* * *

"And now, the third task... shall BEGIN!"

Harry and Cedric nodded to each other, and cautiously made their way into the Quidditch pitch-turned-maze, disappearing after a few moments.

* * *

**An episode of heartbreak for many at Hogwarts and one at Beauxbatons. What is it with the hormones nowadays?**

**The friendship between H and P. Will it last? Or will they remain 'enemies'?**

**And the dream. Whose dream is it? What's happening? Why is it happening? Share your thoughts with everyone! We all want to know what you think!**

**You know you love me,**

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl  
**

* * *

_**A little treat for you all... finishing off the fourth year at Hogwarts..**_

"Gettttt himmmm!"

Harry ran towards the limp body that was Cedric Diggory, 'Accioed' the Triwizard Tournament's Winner's Cup.

"Nooooo!" A furious voice, dripping full of venom and anger echoed the graveyard.

* * *

A loud crack, as two bodies appeared in the large grassy area below. Loud cheers erupted from the Hogwarts area of the audience, though all sound ceased when two words were uttered repeatedly.

"He's back! He's back!" Harry yelled, eyes streaming heavily with tears. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey rushed to the scene, examining the Hogwarts champions.

Hermione was sitting next to her Ravenclaw friends, Ginny and Luna, all mouths open wide with shock and horror. Everybody in the Quidditch pitch froze at Harry's words, with horrified expressions on their faces, disbelieving the fact that Lord Voldemort was back. He couldn't be.

Cho's heart instantly stopped beating when she saw the still form of her boyfriend, the Hufflepuff champion, Cedric Diggory. "No. He can't be," was all she said.

Hermione followed her fellow Ravenclaw's gaze towards the body lying still in the middle of the grassy area, and a loud sob escaped her.

"No." She whispered.

* * *

Neville and Hermione stealthily followed the troupe of Professors and professional healers towards the Hospital Wing. Despite this, it was quite difficult for Hermione's tears and sniffles had not ceased. Professor Moody had suddenly ushered Harry out of the Hospital Wing, shoving him along the corridor. Everybody in the Hospital Wing disregarded this, for Professor Moody was a trusted member of staff.

"It's going to be alright, 'Mione." Neville said, attempting to sound comforting, but it came out quite awkwardly.

Hermione gave a small and watery smile, her nose all red and blotchy. "I hope so."

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sat in the corner, seemingly unnoticed by the hunched Madam Pomfrey and the Diggorys, whose backs were facing the two fourth years.

* * *

It wasn't long until the Hogwarts nurse had noticed the two students sitting in the corner and shooed them out. A few tears were still dripping down her pale cheeks as Hermione desperately curled herself into a ball, not wanting to have any company. Despite this, Neville squeezed her hand in comfort.

Then suddenly, something flashed in her eyes.

"_A Summoning Charm. A simple 'accio'. With the right wand movement, the object you desire will come your way." Professor Moody said mysteriously one day, as Hermione walked by him._

_Hermione glanced at him, wondering what was wrong with the Professor. Not very sure as to how to respond to the DADA Professor, she nodded and uttered a simple 'thank you' to him._

"It was his plan all along." Hermione whispered in a slightly horrified voice, the tears having frozen on her cheeks. "I have to go and find Professor Dumbledore. You wouldn't happen to know where Harry's map is, would you Neville?"

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his armchair, after a rough day of work, contemplating the year's events. He was wondering how Barty Crouch Junior was not dead, and how he had managed to overpower the best Auror in the century, Alastor Moody. Extracting a memory from his head, he plunged into his Pensieve and studied his memory.

_The man inside the Age Line was groaning quietly with frustration. "Why isn't this working?"_

"_What are you doing, Alastor?" Dumbledore asked, with a slight twinkle in his eye._

_Moody whirled around, as if he was surprised to see Dumbledore there. "Albus. I was only checking to see if the Age Line has been tampered with. In case students have been trying to break through it."_

_The Headmaster noticed a rather fearful look in his eyes. He was a little on the defensive side... and now his eyes were glazed over, as if he had no control over what he was doing._

_Nodding, Dumbledore turned away.  
_

* * *

"No. He can't be. He can't be." She repeated several times, like a broken record, crying out brokenly. Hermione enveloped the girl in a tight hug, for she knew she had to be strong and comfort her friend.

"I'm sorry, Miss Chang. But it is true." Madam Pomfrey said in a calm voice, looking extremely stressed after speaking to the patient's distraught parents.

"No!" She broke out of Hermione's hug and stood up, her face marred with grief as she wailed loudly. Then loud, thumping steps were heard, madly rushing towards the exit.

Hermione glanced with watery eyes at the girl she had come to know so well, just stand up and walk away from the golden life she knew and lost.

_A few hours later..._

Ginny paced about the Gryffindor common room, sighing. One of her best friends, who made up one-quarter of the Ravenclaw Quartet, Hermione Granger had neglected her all year long and was suffering. Of course, Ginny understood why. With homework and revision, helping Harry with the Tournament, taking the Beauxbatons students around and spending time with her _Ravenclaw _friends, Hermione didn't have time for her at all.

And to top it off, _Cedric Diggory _was dead.

Her behaviour had been unacceptable, she knew, as it was not what a friend would do. Of course, she had Nina, Luna, Lena and all of her other friends, but their company was just not the same.

And they knew it too.

She knew how much the Hufflepuff meant to Hermione, but did not comment on this. Hermione had to forget everything that had happened this past year, and this was not the way to do it.

"I understand." Ginny said quietly, and it was obvious that she was hurt.

"I'm sorry, Gin." Hermione said earnestly, a tear floating down her cheek. She was an emotional wreck today. "I honestly didn't mean to push you aside that way. I just couldn't cope with everything… life was so hard, and I couldn't tell anybody anything… I didn't want to add any more trouble to anyone else's plate."

"I understand, 'Mione. I forgive you. But you shouldn't bottle everything up. At least you're here now, even though it's not in the best of circumstances." Ginny said, smiling slightly to comfort the girl.

"But-" Hermione started. Ginny enveloped the Ravenclaw in a Molly Weasley-esque hug.

"We have each other, and that is what matters at the end. I'll be there for you, even during the darkest and most violent of storms."

* * *

Tonight, everything was different. Black drapes were on the walls, as a sign of respect for Cedric Diggory.

Professor Dumbledore stood up. "It is the end of another year at Hogwarts. There is so much I would like to say to you all, but first I must acknowledge a fine person, who should be sitting here with us tonight."

Everybody knew who he was talking about.

"I would like you all to please, stand up and raise your glasses to Cedric Diggory."

Tears were streaming down Cho's face. The Headmaster continued on with his speech, talking about Cedric's many good qualities that made him the popular Hufflepuff he was.

"I wish to tell you all the truth, despite the Ministry's concerns. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."


	21. A Light In Disguise

**_Chapter Twenty: A Light In Disguise_**

**Ms Smiles apologises most profusely for not being able to produce an episode quickly, for she has been suffering from a bout of writer's block. Despite this, she has not abandoned this story. Please understand that she has been very busy lately, but will try her best to produce more episodes quickly.**

**I have a message from Ms Smiles that the last part of our favourite Hogwarts students' fourth year has been moved to the previous episode, titled 'Heartbroken'. To those who have already watched the 19th episode and wish to know what happened to the Tournament's champions, go back to the previous episode and scroll to my usual signing off in bold. Underneath, is the last part to Hermione Granger's fourth year.**

**And once more without further ado, I present the beginning of a new school year at Hogwarts.**

* * *

"And may I introduce to you all, our new Defence against the Dark Arts professor. Everyone, may I present to you, Professor Umbridge."

There were immediate whispers of anxiety, notably at the Ravenclaw table, where most of the intellects sat and discussed new theories and problems regarding the issues in the wizarding world.

"The Ministry is spying on us!" Eva whispered in an indignant huff.

"They're going to try take control of Hogwarts!" Padma hissed angrily. "Fudge is so insecure! He's insane!"

All chatter ceased when the feast began.

* * *

Many people blinked, several times, as if they were frogs. It didn't seem as though anyone understood what the new professor was babbling on about.

"Miss Granger. Could you explain this concept to the rest of your… _counterparts_?" The short woman sighed with exasperation tinged in her chubby cheeks. It seemed as though Professor Umbridge was having a hard time in concealing her displeasure in having to teach some of the students in the class she was currently and 'supposedly' teaching.

This year, the Ravenclaws were with the Hufflepuffs for DADA. The new professor had taken a liking to Hermione, and did not mask her clear dislike for all the other students in the class for she thought they were all extremely dim. Now, this class was different. Instead of doing the practical side of DADA class, which entailed getting up and _physically _doing spells, Professor Umbridge insisted on following the new Ministry protocol, which involved sitting at a desk and _reciting _from the new Ministry textbook.

No practical work seemed to be required at all.

Hermione reluctantly spoke, her mind whirring about all the extra work that the class would have to do to pass their DADA OWLs.

"Now, if you would turn to page 8…"

Frustrated by everything, Ravenclaw Josh Knightley stood up and voiced his opinion… much to the displeasure of the professor.

"Detention straight after dinner, Mr. Knightley." Professor Umbridge said quietly, smiling with an eerie gleam in her eyes.

Eyes narrowing, Josh sat down in a slight huff, masking most of his emotions, though he was clearly irritated by the new DADA professor. Many others flinched, but were in agreement with the Ravenclaw, and were simply too afraid to say anything.

It was a repeat of the Harry Potter incident earlier that morning.

"_As I was saying, you have been wrongly informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large again. It is a lie."_

"_It is NOT a lie!" Harry snapped, though he didn't notice. "I saw him, and I fought him! Why is it so hard for you to believe that Voldemort is BACK?"_

"_Detention, Mr. Potter!" Professor Umbridge said in a simpering voice, almost triumphantly._

_Silence reverberated through the room, echoing. _

"_So according to what you've just said… Cedric Diggory just… __**dropped dead**__ at will?" Harry asked coldly, his voice shaking._

_A collective gasp travelled through the room. Professor Umbridge was staring at Harry with immense dislike, and her ears seemed to be turning a darker shade of pink. Despite this, if one looked closely, her nose was twitching slightly, as if she was about to laugh._

_A strange phenomenon, isn't it not?_

_Composing herself, Professor Umbridge said coldly. "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident. Accidents happen during the Triwizard Tournament."_

"_It was murder." Harry could barely speak at all. "Voldemort killed him and you know it."_

"_Detention at 8:00 tonight, Mr. Potter."_

* * *

It was a few days later before anything interesting happened. Hermione simply happened to have a bit of spare time, and so she lay in her bed, relaxing, contemplating over everything that had happened.

It was after dinner, when it was still light, Harry, Hermione and Neville were walking along the path of the Lake that Hermione suggested her idea.

"You know, I was thinking today… with Umbridge and everything…" Hermione trailed off, not knowing how to begin.

"Don't remind me of that vile woman." Harry muttered darkly, obviously irritated by the Ministry and their new spy currently at Hogwarts.

Neville glanced at Hermione with knowing eyes, Hermione having told him of her idea a mere few hours ago. Nodding to each other, Hermione took charge of the conversation.

"We need a proper teacher to show us how to use spells, and tell us how to improve." Hermione said forcefully.

Harry frowned at her. "Lupin…?"

"No. He's too busy with the Order." When she saw that Harry still had a distinct frown on his face, she sighed deeply. "I'm talking about you, Harry."

Harry didn't seem to react to her suggestion at all and instead, he was just staring at her blankly.

Neville waved a hand in front of Harry's eyes, but Hermione continued. "You're the best in the year at the subject, Harry."

Harry's eyebrows had risen and hidden under his unruly mop of hair. He _clearly _didn't believe them.

At least he hadn't shouted at them.

Yet.

Ever since the end of fourth year, with the Last Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry had been profoundly affected by the events and was prone to shout at them, even at the tiniest of comments.

Deciding that the Ravenclaw was hopeless at persuading the green-eyed teenager, Neville took the matter into his own hands. "We need somebody… we need to know what it's really like… facing… V-V-Voldemort."

"Do think about it Harry, won't you?" Hermione said in a quiet tone, almost pleadingly.

They had arrived in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. "Well, I'm off to bed now."

And a small click of the brass door indicated that Hermione had left them standing outside, leaving them to their own thoughts.

* * *

_A few days later…_

"All in favour of Dumbledore's Army then?" Hermione called loudly, her authoritative voice having taken over her normal calm and collected demeanour.

The majority seated in the room nodded enthusiastically.

"Wonderful." Hermione muttered, conjuring a piece of parchment and quill, indicating to everybody to sign on it.

"That's what the Ministry's most afraid of. Fudge especially." Eva said, smiling. "Oh, this is so rebellious!"

"And so unlike you," Susa smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

This was necessary… for the future.

* * *

Hermione gasped.

_Umbridge is truly a vile witch._

This was after the first meeting for their defence lessons with Harry. It had been a success so far, though many still doubted Harry's credibility, with what had happened the year before.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor._

_No student organisation, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty Four. _

_Signed by Dolores Jane Umbridge, the High Inquisitor_

* * *

A long and slender hand reached to untie the strings around the brown owl's leg, and brought the crisp, white parchment up to read.

_ATTN: Miss Hermione Granger, Ravenclaw Tower._

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I have the pleasure of informing you that you have been selected to be the Deputy Head Student, as part of the new Inquisitorial Squad in Hogwarts._

_There will be a meeting on Tuesday to collect badges, discuss expectations and responsibilities for this academic year. _

_Sincerely,_

_Dolores Jane Umbridge_

_The High Inquisitor_

Only one thought immediately came to mind: _Umbridge seems to really like pink. _

* * *

Tuesday soon arrived.

Eight students were seated at the front desks. The room was segregated into two sections, one side accommodating Adrian Pucey, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy and Theo Nott. On the other side sat Daphne Greengrass, Hermione Granger, Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. The group was a rather intelligent bunch, though both sides were not particularly fond of each other, despite the majority of them being in the same house.

Take Daphne and Adrian for example. She was known as the Ice Queen at Hogwarts (many were eerily reminded of Narcissa Black, now Malfoy). And he was a notorious playboy. Wizard. Or whatever you want to call him. Despite being a playboy, he was constantly attempting (and failing, badly) to woo and win over the Slytherin Ice Queen.

It was always amusing to watch.

"Students. You have been given a big responsibility, where you must act accordingly. Hogwarts students have been led astray by the events of last year. The purpose of this squad will be to restore Hogwarts to its full prestige once more, to make Hogwarts the best wizarding school in the world again." The High Inquisitor began in a clear voice.

Hermione inwardly rolled her eyes. She _despised _the woman who was a 'spy' for the Ministry.

"Now, the Head students of the Inquisitorial Squad are Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson." Professor Umbridge indicated to the two students on either side of the room. A small but polite applause ensued.

"Deputy Head Students – Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger."

Hermione pursed her lips together, nodding curtly at everyone in the room who clapped politely.

It wasn't long until Hermione began to tune off the babbling woman, who evidently thought herself to be a large authority figure at Hogwarts, when she wasn't.

_Obviously._ Nobody took her seriously.

Adrian Pucey noisily stood up, with a squeaking chair and all, much to the annoyance of the woman from the Ministry, who blinked when she noticed everybody standing up.

* * *

It was the next day when the two head students of the Inquisitorial Squad called a meeting.

Grudgingly, Hermione parted from her friends, who were not pleased by the fact that Hermione was to be surrounded by a complete Slytherin group. However, it was only a slight relief to them, that the Slytherins were not particularly nasty to the Ravenclaws, instead to the Gryffindors, for they were a neutral house in the Hogwarts' system.

Seated in one of the older Charms classrooms, Hermione sighed inwardly, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"Guys, we are here today, to discuss tactics and strategies as to how to catch people. Any suggestions?" Pansy Parkinson started, straight and to the point.

Draco Malfoy was casually lounging on one of the sofas in the corner as if he was an emperor, superior to everybody else, much to the girls' dismay. However, they ignored him, and proceeded on with the meeting as if nothing was happening.

"Patrol rotations, perhaps?" Hermione suggested. Pansy nodded in agreement.

"Any nights in particular that anyone can't make it to?" Pansy asked, having already taken a refillable quill and parchment out to scribble notes on.

When nobody replied, Pansy took matters into her own hands, and said that she would choose the rotations at random. When Draco began to protest, for he knew that Pansy would 'randomly' choose according to what would be of advantage to her more. Pansy rolled her eyes in exasperation, sarcastically asking him what he would suggest they did.

What he replied with, was not what the girls expected.

"We could draw names out of a hat."

"You're joking! That is such a first year method!" Adrian Pucey pursed his lips in disapproval.

Hermione hadn't said anything for she had been staring into space for quite a while since the beginning, and soon all the Slytherins were glancing at her.

"What?" She asked, eyes narrowing, as though she knew what had been happening.

"What do you think of the method?"

She sighed, taking all the point of views into account. "It is quite a fair way…" With this statement, Draco glanced triumphantly to everybody else, who groaned.

"But whoever casts the spell must be impartial." With that, Draco's face fell, much to everybody else's amusement. "There are a variety of other methods that could be used, however."

Knowing they all had to be honest, they all gestured towards Hermione to cast the impartial spell.

And so they did.

There were two sets of pairs, for after they had picked the first pair, Draco had protested (again), and so began the second drawing of names. Pansy agreed, for she had insisted that they had different partners, so as to put different people together, and build up good teamwork. Hermione noticed Adrian roll his eyes, evidently in disbelief at what he called Pansy's nonsense.

Hermione smirked inwardly. _Who knew that the Slytherins could be this opinionated, and so democratic? _Hermione remembered many events from the past few years at Hogwarts. The Slytherins mainly kept up their rivalries with the Gryffindors, and kept to themselves, constructing a mental barrier to protect themselves from anything bad happening, which could potentially lead to the damage of reputation. Image seemed to be everything in the Slytherin house. There also seemed to be a dictator-type 'leadership' in Slytherin, with Draco Malfoy being at the top of the hierarchy.

It was true.

Eventually, when everyone was content with the arrangements, Hermione had been paired up with Blaise and Pansy and was quite relieved. The drawing of names could have been worse, after all.

* * *

It had been a long time since Hermione and her friends were able to just sit and chat. Homework, DA and Squad meetings took up the majority of her time, leaving not much left for socialising and fun.

Today, Eva was at the Ravenclaw Quidditch practice (against Slytherins on Saturday), Susa was with her girly friends, and Padma was obviously somewhere (either with Parvati and Lavender or the Hufflepuff girls) gossiping away about what they had each picked up from the scandalous grapevine that was Hogwarts.

Hermione was spending some friend-time with Ginny that day, and the girls were walking across the meadows that surrounded the Great Lake.

Laughing and chattering like she had never before, Hermione felt relaxed, and wished that they did not have a war looming across the horizon, waiting to strike at them, when they were unaware.

* * *

A week later, Dumbledore's Army had officially started, for they were up and casting spells.

"Er, so today, I was thinking that we should do _Expelliarmus_, you know, the Disarming Charm-" He was cut off by Zacharias Smith, evidently dismayed by Harry's suggestion.

"_Expelliarmus_? Fat chance it's going to help us against You-Know-Who, don't you think, Potter?"

Harry's eyes narrowed at him. Hermione squeezed his shoulder gently in comfort, and warning him not to say anything. Harry heaved a breath, and said in his most quiet voice, so that the whole room could hear – "I used it against him last year in the Last Task. It saved my life."

Zacharias Smith's eyes widened slightly, in disbelief that such a simplistic charm would work against a dark wizard like Lord Voldemort.

"Look, Smith. If you think that all of this is beneath you and your abilities, I suggest that you should leave. Immediately. Anybody else who also feels this way leaves immediately." Hermione broke in, her voice sounding extremely exasperated and irritated at the same time.

Eva smiled. It wasn't unlike Hermione not to be like this.

Harry instinctively felt better after Hermione's defensive retort against the mouthy Hufflepuff, who seemed to only want to see what the club was all about and listen to the Boy-who-Lived himself.

The Hufflepuff said nothing, and just sat there, slightly open-mouthed. An awkward silence swished across the room, and it seemed as though one could cut through it with a steak knife, as nobody knew what to say.

"Shall we begin then everyone?" Harry asked, in a slightly more jovial mood once more. "Pair up!"

* * *

Hermione threw her hands up in the air impatiently. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Eva seemed to materialise by her side. "What's wrong?"

"Look at _this_!" She said disgustedly. She could not understand why her school life was _littered _with everything to do with squad responsibilities.

_ATTN: Miss Hermione Granger, Ravenclaw Tower._

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_You will be excused from your morning classes tomorrow and on Friday in order to join me on my lesson inspections._

_Please arrive promptly at my office straight after your breakfast. _

_Sincerely,_

_Dolores Jane Umbridge_

_The High Inquisitor _

"What can I say, 'Ne?" Eva asked, stifling a giggle. "Professor Umbridge has _clearly _taken a liking to you."

Hermione could only roll her eyes. _You don't say I haven't noticed_.

* * *

Hermione sighed the next morning for the umpteenth time.

"Will you stop that sighing! If I were you, I'd be extremely happy at being able to miss classes!" Padma said in a resigned voice.

Eva was laughing. "Have fun."

Hermione rolled her eyes and went to the High Inquisitor's office after breakfast.

"Ah. Miss Granger! Do come in." Professor Umbridge smiled a genuine smile, not the usual leery ones she usually gave.

At Hermione's silence, the Professor glanced up, and motioned for the Ravenclaw to sit and to speak.

"I was wondering Professor… as to why you chose me to be a part of the Inquisitorial Squad. I mean, I'm not being disrespectful or anything – after all, it was your choice. I can't criticise that. But… forgive me, Professor, you chose a _Ravenclaw_, who cavorts around with _Gryffindors_, to be in that Squad of _Slytherins_. Muggleborn and Pureblood differences…?" Hermione trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

This question had been drilling a hole into her brain for _weeks_, and if this were literal, her brain would be singed, black like coal. Hermione was determined to know why and didn't mind facing punishment for her 'insolence', as Professor Snape would put it, in doubting the Professor's choice of Squad members.

Professor Umbridge raised one eyebrow and sighed. "The truth has to come out some time. First of all, I chose you to put points back into the house system, after the Slytherins deducted them. And I wasn't surprised that you would notice this so quickly. You aren't the most intelligent witch in your year for nothing, after all."

Hermione seemed to be confused. "Forgive my asking, Professor… but _what_ truth?"

"Let's get to the point." The Professor cast a silencing spell around them, locked the door and continued her confession. "I spy in the Ministry… for the Order."

"For the _Order_?" Hermione asked in distinct disbelief. "But I've never seen you come to meetings!"

"Really, Miss Granger. Must you mistrust me so much?" Professor Umbridge asked, with clear amusement written all over her face. "I'm a Metamorphagus. I can change my appearance at will."

Hermione still had an expression of disbelief written all over her face.

_No. It can't be. _

_She's at Grimmauld Place!_

"With all due respect, Professor... the marks left behind on Harry's hand-"

Professor Umbridge dismissed this with the flick of her hand. "Oh, that. Just a simple charm to prove to the Minister that I've been _supposedly _giving _the _Harry Potter a hard time."

"The _Minister _requested for you to give _Harry Potter _a hard time?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"That, my dear, is a story for another time." Professor Umbridge sighed. "I suppose you'll want proof?"

Hermione nodded slowly, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Then, it was truly magic. The supposedly short and stout Professor Umbridge became taller, thinner and much younger.

Dark hazel eyes became a familiar deep sea blue; and the perfect brown coif became long, dark and feminine...

"Oh! You are a very good actress."

Umbridge laughed. "Now that the truth is out, we must get to work. First… it seems that the Minister wants me to torment… Trelawney."

* * *

"_Hem-hem._"

This was after Trelawney's lesson, where the Divination professor had stormed out of the classroom in a flood of tears. They had arrived at Hagrid's lesson later that morning, just one of the lessons that Hermione would be missing for the morning. Not that she minded, of course, for she was always concerned for her own safety during the Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hermione looked extremely haggled, with her hair all frizzy and haywire. With Professor Umbridge, however, there was not a hair out of place.

"Oh hello!" Hagrid said, smiling.

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" The Professor asked, in a loud, but slow voice, as though she was addressing someone foreign and slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"

"Oh right!" Hagrid grinned brightly. "Glad you found the location of our lesson today. You see, we're doing Thestrals today-"

"I'm sorry? What did you say?" Professor Umbridge cupped a hand around her ear, frowning, as though she was talking to a young child who was a little dense.

"Thestrals!" Hagrid said loudly. "Big… winged… horses… you know?"

He flapped his overly large arms, attempting (and failing) to mime one.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows disapprovingly, as Eva, Susa and Padma glanced at Hermione, as though trying to tell her to stop Umbridge from doing anything. Draco Malfoy was grinning from ear-to-ear, as though Christmas had arrived early for him.

"Has… to… resort… to… crude… sign… language." She muttered, loud enough for the whole class to hear, as she scribbled away at the clipboard.

Hermione sighed. Just because the woman was part of the Order, she still had to act the part of a spy. She knew she had to think of something quickly.

"Well anyway, class. What was I saying again?" Hagrid asked, scratching his head and looking a little flustered.

"Appears… to… have… poor… short… term… memory…"

Draco Malfoy was barely stifling his chuckles as he stood next to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling like buffoons. Theo and Blaise stood behind them, with blank but neutral expressions on their faces.

"Oh, would you look at the time, Professor!" Hermione exclaimed with fake-surprise. "We're late!"

The audacity of it! The whole class turned to glance at the Deputy Head Student in surprise. Many had thought that Hermione was turning into a dark witch, through her association in the squad that was full of Slytherins and evil.

"We really must be going to the next class. What was it? Professor Flitwick? We must hurry to the Charms classroom!" She smiled, looking extremely harried as she attempted to usher the High Inquisitor towards the Hogwarts castle.

"Of course, Miss Granger." Professor Umbridge began to walk, and Hermione glanced behind, with the grateful faces of Hagrid, Harry, Neville and the rest of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws smiling. As for the Slytherins, Hermione noticed Blaise and Theo nod in respect to her, Pansy grin at her for standing up for the half-giant and Draco Malfoy looking at her with something akin to respect, despite the scowl plastered all over his face.

* * *

A few days later…

A collective sigh rippled through the room like the Mexican wave. It was clearly obvious that Umbridge wanted the Head Students to lead the meeting, and it was evident that Draco was not going to do anything. This left Pansy to do all the work, and as unwilling as she was, her father told her to stay on Umbridge's good side, so as to be able to collect favours from her in the future.

"So how do you suggest going about catching people?" Pansy asked, obviously not keen to be present at the meeting at all.

Adrian was drooling on the ancient wooden table he was sitting at and Theo's eyes were drooping, only for some random sound to jolt him awake again.

"Why don't we just focus on Potter?" Draco piped up suddenly. "Isn't he supposed to be notorious for causing trouble anyway?"

"Excellent idea, Mr. Malfoy. 10 points to Slytherin. And Miss Granger? Would you stay after the meeting please?" Professor Umbridge asked sweetly, after an Inquisitorial Squad meeting.

Hermione sighed inwardly when she heard Blaise whisper in teasingly, "Ohh, someone's _in trouble_…"

She decided to ignore him, and slowly packed up her things when they were dismissed. Umbridge walked up to her slowly and solemnly, as if there was something wrong. Hermione glanced up, and blinked at the short and toad-like woman carefully. Despite the fact that the toad-like woman had revealed her true identity, Hermione knew that she should never cross her. Ever.

So she made the decision to just stay out of trouble. But her curious instincts prevented her from doing this, for she asked "Whatever is the matter, Professor?"

Professor Umbridge heaved a sigh.

"I know about the DA, Hermione. I'm not catching you yet. It's a matter of time until people (the Slytherins in particular) suspect that Harry Potter and co are up to something. Then they will insist on your group being caught and so this is about keeping up appearances, Hermione. We will have to stage something."

"And by the way, Hermione… do remember to return 100 points to Gryffindor, won't you? I do believe the Slytherins have been mercilessly deducting points all day long." Professor Umbridge winked at her.

Hermione smiled. "Of course. 100 points to Gryffindor."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun! Professor Umbridge is not as she seems. A very good actress, she is! **

**As always, we all want to know what YOU think! Share the love by writing a quick review!**

**Until next time.**

**Xoxo,**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

"I see that Carter, Lang and Patil were in the group too. Would I be correct to assume that… you are perhaps, a _traitor _to our squad?"

* * *

Could it be… _her_?

_No_. Her eyes darkened.

_She's dead._

_Who are they? Tune in to Wiz-V to find out, next time on Gossip Girl._


	22. Escape

_**Chapter Twenty One: Escape**_

**Gossip Girl here. I have the pleasure of being the first and only person to be able to show you all the new happenings at Hogwarts.**

**Now, just to clarify with you all, time has been fast-forwarded – so that there is more action and excitement for you all!  
**

* * *

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, almost desperately.

There was a hollow expression in his eyes.

"They've escaped."

* * *

"I have something to confess." The girl with curly auburn hair murmured, almost afraid to say what she wanted to say. She knew that many would be after her with their wands, if not with the muggle pitch knives alight with red flames.

Immediately, all eyes in the room went towards the girl standing at the door, interested in what she had to reveal that seemed to be so important.

* * *

Frowning, she wondered what made the room so hot all of a sudden. She yanked at her blue tie, back and forth, pondering the cause to the sudden surge in temperature. Reaching a hand into the pocket, she flinched at the touch of the scorching hot metal.

"Oh no." She instantly knew what was wrong. Someone had confessed.

She glanced down at the gold coin that was rapidly glowing red-hot, panicking, as the red-hot colour of the metal indicated an emergency. It seemed as though the coin could not glow any redder, but it did. _What were they to do? Would they get expelled? What would happen to Harry?_

It was extremely obvious that neither Harry nor Neville had noticed the change in colour and temperature of the coin that was constantly left in their pockets for efficient communication, for Harry was still lecturing the rest of the DA about the Azkaban mass breakout. This Death Eater mass breakout lecture would have to wait until later for she knew she had to act quickly.

* * *

She knew she had to think quickly or they would be in trouble. **Big trouble.**

Hermione murderously glared at Marietta, who at least had the decency to look slightly guilty. _I thought we were friends!_

_The audacity of what she has done is extremely unforgiveable._

Pushing the anger she had for her fellow Ravenclaw out of the way, she knew there were more important matters at hand. She clicked the button on the fake Galleon that she had made, thrice, indicating an extremely urgent emergency situation. It instantly turned red, which would signify to Harry, Neville and Eva a warning that the squad would catch them if they didn't do anything quickly.

"Well then, squad. You know what to do now." Professor Umbridge's eyes gleamed, almost evilly, not before casting a concerned glance at Hermione.

"We'll catch Potter!" Adrian Pucey chuckled.

"Granger, you didn't happen to know of the fact that Potter ran this club, did you?" Draco asked, walking towards Hermione and sounding extremely smug at being able to catch his worst enemy in trouble.

Hermione was silent, and hoped that Harry and the gang wouldn't be in too much trouble… or expulsion.

"It seems that Carter, Lang and Patil were in the group too. Would I be correct to assume that… you are perhaps, a _traitor _to our squad?"

* * *

"Two-by-two, everyone!" Harry announced in a calm voice, over the chatter that was still buzzing in the background.

Neville was nodding to himself, and was eliminating the names of the many pairs who were successfully managing to escape from the Room of Requirement. It seemed as though there was still time left to escape, thus Padma and Susa were the next to scurry quickly out of the Room of Requirement.

"Oh no." Neville muttered. Ginny's eyes widened when she looked over his shoulder at the Marauders' Map in concern.

"They've bumped into the squad." Ginny murmured, both hands cupping her cheeks with worry.

"Ah well, don't worry. Susa lies extremely well. She has the gift of manipulating." Eva smiled. Ginny didn't look entirely convinced, which prompted Eva to pat the younger girl's shoulder comfortingly, as though she was Hermione, whom she wished was there with them. "Seriously, Gin. Don't worry so much."

When the queue had dissipated rather efficiently, Ginny, Luna, a quarter of the Ravenclaw Quartet being Eva, the Weasley twins, Neville and Harry were left behind standing.

"Okay. So are you sure that you're willing to risk expulsion?" Harry asked in a firm voice. "If you're not, I do suggest you leave… around about now."

All of the listed students nodded.

"Anything against Umbridge, really." Ginny smirked.

"They're coming." Neville said suddenly, after having consulted with the Marauders' Map once again. "And Hermione isn't with them."

"Ohh." It was Eva's turn to worry, for she had said it in a shaky voice, almost as though she would faint.

"Well. We'll just have to brace ourselves for the fact that we'll be expelled this time for sure."

"Ugh. Mum will _kill _me."

* * *

Blaise walked up and down the corridor three times, muttering and chanting inaudibly to himself. Then, finally they revealed the room which Harry and some of the gang were at. Destroying the flimsy and weak wall that separated the outside and the inside of the Room of Requirement, the four Slytherins stepped in to the dueling room gingerly, glancing around at the students standing.

"This is a smaller group than what Edgecombe said." Theo muttered to himself, but loud enough for Pansy and Draco to hear.

"Is this it?" Pansy asked loudly. "Edgecombe said that there was a list."

Neville unwillingly handed over the list he had just tampered with to Pansy, who snatched it off him. Her eyes ran over the neat script greedily. Everyone was expecting her to say something, for they were all staring at her, glittery eyes narrowed and all.

"Expulsion.. is certain."

* * *

"Edgecombe, you fool! You are a liar!" Umbridge shrieked. "How dare you give me the wrong information!"

Hermione had to skillfully conceal a smirk at the Ravenclaw's evident quivering. Oh, she had become a sadist by now. However, Umbridge being the observant person, she was gave a pointed look at Hermione, who had to tone down the sadistic gleam in her eyes that was obvious to the people who knew her well.

"I'm sorry, Professor. But I am telling you the truth!"

Before Umbridge had a chance to say anything, the door burst open and all eyes turned to glance at Draco's tight grip on Harry's collar and grabbing the material of George's uniform, as if fighting for his life, Pansy holding Eva and Padma's arms gently and Susa, Luna and Ginny standing next to them, seething. Neville was being dragged towards the office by Blaise and as for Fred and Angelina; Theo took them both by the wrists not violently, though not gently either. All looked extremely disheveled, as if they had just climbed a mountain. Hermione glanced at them worriedly, a grimace crossing her face.

"Miss Granger, would you stand next to Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley?" Professor Umbridge asked, gesturing to Ginny and Luna. Hermione obeyed the Professor's order, and took out her wand for effect. Professor Umbridge began her usual and boring lecture, and Hermione took this as an opportunity to speak to them.

"Listen to me." Hermione muttered. "Umbridge will be so engrossed in her lecture, she won't notice you two leave."

"Wha-" Ginny started. Hermione shushed her.

"The less trouble people get into, the better." Hermione continued, as though nothing had happened. "Now, I know how Umbridge beams people out of her office. You know how sometimes people suddenly appear out of nowhere? Well that's from this room. Now if you could just stand still…"

"How do you know all these things, Hermione?" Luna asked in her usual dreamy voice. Hermione's eyes widened slightly when most eyes in the room turned to look at them. Smiling with confidence, Hermione stuck her nose in the air, and pretended nothing was wrong.

When all attention had been cast back to Umbridge, Hermione sighed.

"Shush, Lou!" Hermione hissed, almost irritably to Luna. "You'll get me into trouble!"

She discreetly moved her wand arm and wand towards the button that would allow Ginny and Luna's escape.

"_Ting-a-ling-a-ling_!"

And the girls were gone.

Just like that.

Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't realised that there was a sound. Luckily, nobody had realised that two members of the DA were missing.

"Now, what was the object of this _Army_?" Professor Umbridge emphasised, eyes flashing with fake annoyance. However, Hermione had come to know those eyes so well, due to the many meetings she'd had with the Ministry-Order woman, she knew that she was running out of things to keep the army under 'custody'.

"It was… for…" It was evident that Harry was panicking and unable to think quickly on his feet.

"_Well_, _Potter_?" Umbridge glared at him with hatred brimming in her eyes. Oh, the theatrics of the situation. Hermione knew Umbridge did not hate Harry at all.

Eva burst out, her Ravenclaw instincts taking over. "Dumbledore."

All eyes in the room widened. Including Eva herself.

_Why on earth did I say that?_

**Poor E. How is she to get out of this mess?  
**

* * *

It was a few minutes later when they were released, much to the dismay of the Inquisitorial Squad, save Hermione and the relief of the DA members held in custody. With a mere month's worth of detentions as punishment for setting up the DA, Harry set back to the Gryffindor dormitory and fell sound asleep.

It was a few hours later when he woke up with the same look of fear plastered on his face that had constantly been appearing on his face in the past few months. Only this time, it was worse.

He gasped heavily for breath as he attempted to collect his thoughts together.

_No. He can't be._

_NO._

"What's wrong, Harry?" Neville had appeared from out of nowhere.

Harry still hadn't caught his breath back, and was panting, extremely heavily. "It's Sirius. He's in trouble."

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Padma seemed to have trouble breathing and Hermione had paled completely. "… Where? How?"

"It's a trap. I'm sure of it." Hermione insisted, almost in a whiny voice. "Sirius is at Headquarters!"

"How are we to get there?" Harry asked, completely ignoring what Hermione had said.

"G-g-get there?" Ron asked, his face taking on a sickly green colour. "What do you mean by _get there_?"

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, and then rescue Sirius!" Harry exclaimed loudly, as though it was the obvious.

"… How did… _Voldemort _get into the Department without anybody realising he was there? It's completely illogical, Harry." Hermione patted Harry on the shoulder, as though trying to reassure him that it was just a dream.

"Don't be so patronising, Hermione! How can you be so sure? He's the only family member I've got left. Prophecy, Sirius, or both, I have to save whatever Voldemort wants and/or has trapped in that dratted Department of Mysteries." Harry gazed at his Ravenclaw best friend pleadingly, with his emerald green eyes.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Those puppy dog eyes were never going to work on her. "It's a trap. Think about it. It's five in the afternoon… the Ministry is still full of workers… how would.. _Voldemort _have gotten in the Department of Mysteries with a captive still supposedly on the loose?" She asked, sounding quite logical to everyone but Harry. "Look. It's difficult, and almost impossible for them to enter without being detected. They're probably, if not the two most _wanted_ wizards in the world…"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, almost exasperatedly. "He probably used an invisibility cloak! Or an extremely powerful Disillusionment Charm."

"But Harry…" Neville chimed in, looking fearful. "The Ministry can detect charms. And you've never been there. It's only been in your dreams."

It wasn't long until Hermione finally relented, sighing, despite her suspicions. "Fine. I don't like the sound of it though. It seems rather suspicious. But you're not going to go without me."

* * *

"I still don't like this." Hermione quivered slightly, almost fearfully. She had been babbling on and on, softly, almost literally talking the ears off her companions.

"Hermione, please shut up." Neville said exasperatedly, then he apologised most profusely, for he had acted completely out of character. Ginny and Luna smiled slightly at each other. Their good friend, admittedly, was being quite annoying, but it was amusing nonetheless.

"Okay, people. Tactics." Harry muttered. "Now, this must be done swiftly…"

The nine teenagers, 4 of which were Gryffindors and 5 Ravenclaws, huddled together before only eight of them mounted their brooms that twitched ever so slightly in the night wind. The two girls, who had decided to remain behind to make excuses, Susa and Padma, gazed off into the distance, where eight dark spots were shrinking rapidly…

It was after a hectic and clumsy entrance into the Ministry through one of the telephone boxes in London that the seven teenagers were making their way towards the plain black door that Harry had dreamed about all these months.

However, nobody had expected him to stop in his tracks. "Alright. So we'll split up when there's trouble-"

"Groups of two or three. We're all responsible for each other." Hermione interrupted him. "Eva, you'll be with Ron-"

"I am most certainly _not _pairing up with _this_!" Eva exclaimed angrily, but quietly, indicating Ron with disgust. Ron glared at her, but remained silent.

Harry huffed with impatience. "We're wasting time! Hermione with Neville and Ginny. And I'll go in with Luna."

Hermione couldn't help but glance towards the red haired girl who seemed to fancy the Boy-who-Lived, and indeed yes, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

**Ooh! And now for the action!**

Soon… they had entered the black door. Hermione casted a few spells for protection. There were lamps that hung low on thin golden chains. This was a rectangular room, but lacked glittery lights that Harry had observed in his dreams. There were rows and rows of shelves, dotted at the side of the room, and a few desks nearby each shelf with some chairs. At the centre of the room, they noticed an enormous glass tank of gold liquid and swirling rapidly around in it was some shimmery circular things that were simply indescribable.

"What are they?" Ron whispered in wonder.

"Jammy Jellyfish!" Luna exclaimed excitedly, in an almost childlike manner. "Dad told me the Ministry was breeding them to-"

"No." Hermione said, almost in a trance. "Unicorn brains." She said simply.

Everyone crowded around the glass tank, taking caution by being a step away from it. Everybody seemed hypnotised by the shimmery brains until Harry spoke.

"We have to go."

They tried the next door, which was around two times larger than the last room, but there was less light and more triangular in shape. The centre was sunken, and a large pit formed around thirty feet deep. There was a raised marble dais standing in between a stone archway, cracking away by the years. The archway was draped with a ripped black veil. Everything was still except for the veil, rippling in the air.

"Who's there?" Harry demanded, hearing a faint echo. Nobody answered. Hermione swatted his arm, as though warning him to be careful.

"Sirius?" Harry continued, this time more quietly, now gazing at the veil by the dais, mesmerised.

"Let's go." Hermione and Eva tried to move Harry from his position.

"Yeah…" But he stayed put. "Who's talking?"

"Don't be stupid, Harry! Nobody's talking!" Eva snapped, frustrated.

"There is someone here." Harry insisted. "Can't anyone else hear it?"

Nobody said anything. And so they marched back towards the door.

"We're here." Harry breathed. He instinctively knew they had arrived, with the dancing light in the ceiling.

Unlike the second room, the towering bookshelves, filled with small and big objects alike, took up the whole room in rows and rows, just like how one would imagine a library to be. Hearts palpitating to a fast but frantic rhythm, Harry led the group down the narrow space of desks, towards the destination that he had seen in his dream – the source of light that came from somewhere in the room. Everyone had their wands out, as they progressed towards the place that had been in his dream, which was another door. Pushing the door carefully, they had arrived into another room full of towering shelves, this time filled with dusty but glimmering orbs.

"Row ninety-seven." Harry whispered into the air. _He might already be dead…_ a nasty voice whispered in his head. Blinking forcefully, Harry got rid of the nasty voice in his head, and led the way to row ninety-seven.

"Harry…" Eva trailed off, in an almost condescending tone, after having glanced knowingly at Hermione.

"What?" Harry snapped, wondering why they hadn't found Sirius yet.

"I…I" Hermione broke off, not knowing what to say. Seeing Harry's annoyed face, she ploughed on courageously. "I don't think Sirius is here."

Nobody said anything to contradict her.

"Harry… look at this. It's got your name on it." Neville said suddenly, slicing away the tension in the air.

_S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D. Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter_

Feeling a sudden surge of recklessness, Harry closed his fingers around the orb. A distinctive drawl sounded from behind.

"Excellent job, Potter. Now turn around… nice and slowly… and give that orb to me."

* * *

"Death Eaters." Ginny hissed as black shapes appeared out of thin air. Their eyes glinted through small eye holes in their masks and most worryingly of all, their wand tips were alight, as though about to explode, and were pointed directly at them.

"Clever observation, Weasley." Lucius Malfoy drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her blatant stupidity and still staring intently at the glass orb in Harry's hand.

His comment was met by glares and growls.

"Give it to me, Potter." Lucius Malfoy's distinctive drawl repeated. At the same time though, his eyes darkened with horror mixed with shock and frustration all at once. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he had gone mad.

Harry's stomach fell. They were trapped, no way to escape, and drastically outnumbered by the Dark.

"Tell me where Sirius is." Harry insisted all of a sudden, buying some time. Hermione nudged him discreetly, as though warning him to run.

The woman with frizzy hair, as dark as night, mimicked Harry, cackling. Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded, almost arrogantly.

"You should learn the difference between reality and dreams, Potter. Just like your father, you are, stupid and arrogant. _Now, give me that prophecy_."

A knot tangled with another knot in Harry's stomach. It seemed as though Sirius wasn't there… and he had led his friends to their deaths for absolutely no reason at all…

However, nobody went for the strike amidst the deathly silence.

"If I give this to you, you'll let us skip happily home?" Harry asked sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Just as Harry's words had come out of his mouth, Bellatrix Lestrange shrieked the _Accio _spell.

"I TOLD YOU NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared. "If you smash it…" He trailed off.

Ignoring her brother-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange shrieked a spell once more, her maniacal cackles filling the room. "STUPEF-"

"Don't." Lucius Malfoy said forcefully. Bellatrix pouted.

After squeezing some information from the Death Eaters at his expense, Harry passed the message to escape to Hermione, who passed it on to the others.

"REDUCTO!" Five voices bellowed from behind.

Shelves collapsed as hundreds of orbs burst apart. Glass that had cracked into smithereens now rained like crystal rain onto the wooden floor, glittering like diamonds.

A battle had begun.

Sort of.

"RUN!" Harry yelled.

The seven teens ran in their respective teams, amidst a flurry of Dark spells following them, all conveniently missing and bouncing off because of Hermione's protective spells, though it was wearing off rapidly.

"We should be safe here." Hermione breathed, catching her breath.

They had pushed themselves up a Neville-sized mirror that had a curtain hung over it. Hermione couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror, as though feeling compelled to do so. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair… then she blinked and didn't see it again. She glanced at herself again and caught a flash of sapphire gems in her eyes.

She _had _to be imagining things, right?

"They should be in here somewhere… Check behind that _ugly _curtain." A high pitched voice simpered. Ginny's eyes closed in fear. Hermione quickly cast Invisibility charms over herself, Ginny and Neville, taking care to allow them to be able to see each other despite the invisibility bit.

"Let's go." Hermione muttered. She knew it was quite risky, but they had to do it.

"Are you crazy, 'Mione?" Ginny exclaimed, a little too loudly.

"Oops." She muttered, brandishing her wand out and running across the room. The two Death Eaters in the room were randomly casting spells about the room, for they weren't able to see the three teens and in the process, destroying absolutely everything. After sending some signals to Hermione, Ginny discovered that they were invisible, and cast some well-placed Bat-Bogey hexes on the two thugs that were Death Eaters.

"DUCK, HERMIONE!" Neville shouted. Hermione glanced down at the jet of light that was flying towards her.

She instantly lay motionless on the floor. Ginny gasped, running towards the unconscious girl.

"STUPEFY!" The two Death Eaters had been rendered motionless also.

* * *

Harry panted as he ran to save his life, tightly clutching Luna's hand in fear. Both having brandished their wands and waving them in all sorts of directions, they fended off the black shapes that were materialising from out of nowhere. Jets of red, orange and yellow light spouted from the tips of the wooden sticks, travelling at speeds faster than the speed of light, back and forth, nobody knowing what would happen next.

The battle had to be won, Harry knew, for if it wasn't, he would have led his friends to their deaths.

"Potter! Hand me the orb and nothing happens." Lucius Malfoy commanded, wand pointed at Harry and his hood having fallen off and his long white blond hair swishing about.

Both of them were well aware that this was evidently _not _going to be the case.

* * *

The woman with dark frizzy hair had just entered the room, gliding, as though she was wearing a beautiful dress at a ball. With her nose up in the air, it was obvious that she was one of those haughty and proud people, one that fit the category of a pureblood. However it was her eyes that darted around the room that destroyed the image of the belle of the ball. Wand at the ready, her eyes narrowed, as though scrimmaging for clues in a riddle.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny shouted, fearfully. She rushed towards the girl, having forgotten about the ongoing battle.

Hearing Hermione's name, Bellatrix Lestrange's head whipped towards the unconscious girl lying on the floor, and caught a glimpse of white blonde hair.

_Mia? No._

_My niece is dead. Lucius killed her._

_The cot was covered with blood._

_Right? _A doubtful voice echoed in her mind.

"Ginny!" Neville bellowed, frustrated, which was rather unusual considering how he normally had a calm and nice personality. "What do you think you're doing? We're fighting a battle here, and can't you see we're going to die soon?"

"It's Hermione, Neville! I can't just leave her here!" Ginny whimpered loudly, fearful and panicking at the same time. Slapping Hermione's face in worry, Ginny bent to hear a heartbeat.

_Please don't let her be dead…_

She couldn't hear one.

"Hermione! Hermione, wake up!" Ginny whispered frantically, groping for her wrist to feel for a pulse. "Wake up!"

Circling around Neville, Bellatrix had a gleam in her eyes as she cackled loudly. "How are Mummy and Daddy doing, Longbottom?"

Neville's eyes widened a fraction as he whipped around, and saw the nightmare that had haunted his dreams for his whole life. All the worried thoughts of Hermione's condition had dissipated, and thoughts coming together coherently, all that he could think of was the one thing that had clouded his mind every day since _that _fateful day when he had been a toddler.

Revenge.

* * *

"RUN LUNA, RUN!" Harry yelled. "IT'S OUR LIVES WE'RE RUNNING FOR!"

Luna nodded, running along with Harry.

Then a loud crack.

"Luna, are you okay?" Harry whispered, after having dragged Luna towards the inconspicuous corner.

"I think… I've twisted my ankle. I can't… move."

* * *

Ginny fumbled for her wand, and quickly cast the Disillusionment Charm that Hermione had cast not too long ago on both her and the unconscious girl. Feeling the ground for a solid but unconscious person, she swiftly scooped Hermione up, groaning, and crept out of the room, dragging a confused Neville with her.

The black hallway seemed totally deserted, and none of them could decide which way to go. Suddenly the door on the left sprang open, and four people toppled out of the room like dominoes onto the floor.

"My foot!" Luna hissed in pain.

By now, Hermione was in Neville's arms, unconscious. Ginny ran over towards the heap, asking if everyone was okay.

Ron's face was extremely white and he was giggling uncontrollably, blood trickling at his mouth, while Eva seemed not to notice that they had reunited together. "She's had a spell to the eyes, and she seems to be in a trance," Harry told the conscious others.

"_There they are_!" A familiar shrieking voice shrieked, cackling dramatically.

A gang of Death Eaters burst into the room with the stone dais, with Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy at the front.

It seemed that death was near.

* * *

His stormy grey eyes told him ignore and dismiss the unconscious girl, for one less teenager gave them a larger advantage. Once more, however, his eyes couldn't help it, and drifted across towards her, wondering who exactly Potter brought to the Department of Mysteries, his heart hoping, and hoping, that _she_ wasn't there.

And that the unconscious body wasn't her.

But it was. And he knew it.

The flash of her blonde hair confirmed it. And the glamour charm, he knew, was wearing off rapidly. Her true identity would leak, and he knew it could not happen. The Dark Lord would be most displeased and most of all, Bella. She would be furious.

Closing his eyes with frustration, he was a little annoyed by his daughter's choice in friends who insisted on facing impending death. He wandlessly cast a strong glamour charm to replenish the one that was wearing off on his daughter and cast a spell that would slowly revive her, knowing how treacherous a sin it was in the Dark Lord's eyes.

* * *

Hermione twitched on the ground. She was extremely aware of her surroundings, her mind telling her that that there was an ongoing battle, but she could not awake. No matter how hard she tried to force open her eyes, they wouldn't budge.

Her ears drummed loudly when she heard the crash. The familiar voice of Sirius Black, one that she had heard during the summer quite often gave a battle cry when he saw his cousin, Bellatrix.

And somehow, she knew they were saved.

* * *

Harry nodded obediently, but was fending off random streaks of magic that went his way. Finding Neville, who was stuck in the stone ground, he attempted and failed to pull him out.

"Come on, Neville!"

"I can't. You go first." Neville whimpered. "You're better at battling than me. I can be sacrificed. You need to defeat _him_."

Completely ignoring the last bit, Harry gave another big heave, just as Neville's robes ripped at the seams. Voldemort could wait for now. The small orb that had been in the boy with the ripped robes' pocket fell onto the ground, shattering into millions of little broken shards of glass.

"Harry, I'm sorry!" Neville cried, his anguished face contorting into an expression that made Harry sympathise with him. He couldn't be angry with his best friend.

"It's alright, but we have to go!" Harry shouted, still trying to heave Neville from the ground.

"Dumbledore." Neville breathed suddenly. There seemed to be a light glinting ever so slightly at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

One of the Death Eaters shouted in warning to the others that Dumbledore had arrived.

Dumbledore sped past Harry and Neville, and cast several blue jets of light towards the Death Eaters that were still standing.

Only one pair – Light and Dark – were still battling. The cousins – Bellatrix and Sirius Black. They had not noticed the arrival of the greatest wizard ever lived.

"COME ON, COUSIN! You can do better than that!" His mocking voice echoed around the room.

"I am NOT your cousin! You blood traitor!" The frizzy haired woman glared at him viciously.

Then suddenly - Harry screamed. "SIRIUS!" A jet of light hit Sirius on the chest. A green one. Sirius ignored him, as he fell through the archway, disappearing behind the curtain. Bellatrix shrieked triumphantly; having finally defeated the cousin who had annoyed her for so long.

"It's too late now Harry. There's nothing you can do." Lupin grabbed Harry's robes, holding him back.

"But we can reach him…" Harry struggled in Lupin's tight grasp.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry… nothing… you see, Sirius… he's gone."

* * *

It wasn't long until they had arrived back at Hogwarts.

Harry was sent to the Headmaster's office, and Ron, Luna, Neville and Eva had been dismissed to return back to their respective dormitories, despite their being immensely worried for Hermione and Ginny, who were both unconscious. Lupin and Kingsley were carrying the two unconscious students. Hermione had been wounded drastically, and had suffered an enormous blood loss. It seemed that Lord Voldemort had instructed his minions to wound the 'brains' of the group.

A tall boy approached them cautiously, peering at the two unconscious girls.

"'MIONE!" He bellowed, his eyes sparkling with tears as he followed the two Order members to the Hospital Wing. "NO!"

Lupin glared at him. "Would you keep your voice down?"

Both girls had been laid onto a bed, as Madam Pomfrey administered several potions. Instantly, Hermione's eyes blearily fluttered open. She gasped when she saw the boy peering at her worriedly.

"_Cedric_?" She asked softly, but incredulously. "Why are you- Aren't you supposed to be…?" She trailed off. She couldn't say the word. Not when… Sirius… had, you know.

"I _saw _you being buried. How can you _not _be dead?"

"_Dead_?" Cedric grinned, his eyes sparkling.

She frowned, as though annoyed by his flippant attitude. This past year had taught her how to appreciate what she had more.

"No. Apparently I was in a coma for a year. And here I had thought that you'd be ecstatic to see my _handsome _face, 'Mi."

Then she groaned good-naturedly at his vanity and smiled. This was what she needed after such a gruelling year. "Of course I'm happy to see you!"

She grinned as she launched herself at him, enveloping him in a bear hug.

"I missed you… so, so much." She whispered.

* * *

Flinching slightly from the pain that she had endured just moments ago as punishment, Bellatrix apparated to the Malfoy home, both legs slashed with large and deep cuts. She collapsed ungracefully on the plush carpet.

"Bellatrix!" A saccharine voice came from the door.

Bellatrix glanced up towards the sound, and saw a flash of white blonde hurry towards her side. "Mission failed again? That Harry Potter must be extremely powerful."

"So much for making me feel better, Cissy." The dark haired woman glared at her sister, but then her face brightened slightly. "I finally killed the mutt though."

Narcissa Malfoy stopped for a mere moment, as though she was shocked beyond belief. A flurry of thoughts circled her mind; however she kept up a cold front. She decided to roll her blue eyes, brandishing her wand to heal her elder sister's deep cuts.

"I was being serious, you know!" Bellatrix insisted. Narcissa nodded, like a mother would to her persistent son.

"Cissy, I-" A deep male voice echoed into the room. The voice stopped, for it seemed as though it wanted to continue… until he saw Bellatrix. "What are you doing here, Bella?"

Narcissa sighed, not wanting to speak to Lucius any further about the events that had occurred earlier in the day, as Bella stood up, stretching herself in an unladylike manner, almost in a tomboyish way. "Be nice, you two."

"You want something. What is it?" Lucius insisted in his usual drawl, as though nothing had happened just under an hour ago.

"Who says I want something, Lucius?" Bella asked, almost mockingly with her voice having taken on a babyish tone.

"You never come alone without wanting something. I know you too well." Narcissa interjected.

Bella crossed her arms stubbornly. "Fine. But I will be blunt." Her shoulders sagged, which was a rather unusual situation for the two Malfoys standing next to the Lestrange. However, her voice had become harsh, angry and suspicious.

"You didn't _kill_ Mia, did you?"

* * *

**Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh! Oh Ms Smiles, you should not have left the story at such an exciting point! We all want to know more!**

**How will L and N react? How will Bella react? I want to know what YOU think!**

**And Cedric Diggory – alive? Is it possible?**

**Merry Christmas and xoxo,**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. Again, Ms Smiles apologises most profusely for this late episode. Most annoyingly, work has been piling up, and thus no time to come up with good ideas.  
**

* * *

"She's dead, Bella." His voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Oh, is she really?" She pointed her wand at him threateningly. "Tell me the truth or I'll tell HIM."

_- What will happen?_

_Tune in to Wiz-V to find out more, next time on Gossip Girl._


	23. The Angel In The Mirror

_**Chapter Twenty Two: The Angel In The Mirror**_

**Good morning, Upper Wizarding Streeters. Gossip Girl here. It's the start to a typical morning. The sound of the alarm clock chimes irritatingly in your ear, and you just want to press the button that is so conveniently nearest to you – the snooze button, which is just about the best thing about an alarm clock. You give up after about three hits of the button, exasperated by the early morning start to a _Monday, _the day after Sunday.**

**Then you wonder – why is Monday, so _close _to a Friday, but Friday, so far away from a Monday? There is only one answer – that it's just life. An instant wave of depression hits you, and that, my friends, is the start to a bad day, and a bad week.**

**And so without further ado, I present you the next episode of Gossip Girl.  
**

* * *

_Earlier that day..._

"Bellatrix Lestrange and co. are in Azkaban, Roger."

"Good." The man named Roger nodded into the walkie-talkie. "Make sure security is _extra-tight _in there. We don't want them breaking out again."

* * *

"Hello? Anyone there?" The long and shaggy haired man had been walking endlessly for days, around and around a place he didn't know.

It was a whole new world there, nothing like Le Belle Boulevard or Diagon Alley, people were so much different… almost ghost like, translucent, pale… and dead.

_Was he dead?_

_No, I'm not_, he answered, seemingly quite sure of himself. But there was that lingering feeling, something he couldn't place. There was something wrong with everything here. Very wrong.

It didn't seem as though he belonged here. He looked down at himself and gasped, horrified. _Oh, Merlin_. _What has happened to me?_

He too, was translucent and pale… and seemed to be very much dead.

_Did Bellatrix really manage to kill me?  
_

* * *

Bellatrix crossed her arms. "You heard me perfectly well, Cissy. But I shall repeat myself again. _Did you, or did you not kill Mia_?"

Lucius's lips pursed into a straight line, and everyone in the room instantly knew that he was irritated. The events of the day had taken a toll on him and he did not need an irate sister-in-law in his hands.

"She's dead, Bella." His voice was clipped, but void of any obvious emotion. Narcissa glanced at him sideways, and knew she had to applaud him, inwardly, on his handling of the situation. Both of them missed Mia dearly; however they knew that it wasn't _that _time, yet.

"Oh, is she really?" She pointed her wand at him threateningly, tauntingly. "Tell me the truth or I'll tell **HIM**."

Suddenly, he felt a rush of pain through his head, throbbing. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Evidently _you _are incapable to recognising your own relatives, Bella." He sniped, trying his best to defend himself. "What is _wrong_ with you Bella? I am telling you the truth."

"_**So you are**_. Then _why was it_... that just a few hours ago, I saw a flash of a girl, about fifteen, with features that looked _just like you and Cissy_?"

Lucius gulped inwardly, but nevertheless kept his composure, despite his knowing that he _and _Narcissa were hurting deeply inside from the mere mention of their beloved daughter.

Narcissa cut in, coldly. "You must have mistaken her for somebody else."

* * *

Hermione was let out – just in time – for the feast. Everything about the Great Hall seemed different, somehow. Many were worrying in fear of Lord Voldemort's return. Most, if not all were jubilantly celebrating the return of Cedric Diggory, thought to be dead, but instead he had been in a coma, assumed dead too quickly. Apparently, it was said that only Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey and Diggory's parents who knew he had been still alive all along, hanging on a flimsy but deteriorating little thread that was his life…

Said person was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, and waved at Hermione as she entered the hall.

Meanwhile at the Ravenclaw table, Susa and Padma were overjoyed to see their two friends who had battled at the Department of Mysteries safe and back in one piece. They ate their feast relatively peacefully, and chatted amongst their fellow House mates. As for Luna – she was wandering around the corridors, putting up signs for the return of her stolen possessions.

As for Harry, Ron and Neville – they were sitting at the Gryffindor table, smiling politely and curtly answering all questions about the Dark Lord's return. Harry was eating in a morose manner, sad and sullen at his godfather's death. With boys being boys, Neville and Ron didn't know what to do. Ginny was speaking animatedly to Nina and Dean Thomas, who was rumoured to be her newest fling.

All seemed well… at least, for now.

* * *

A visit to the town office for some investigation and some keen observation of the people around him, he realised that everyone looked pretty much the same.

_Pale, translucent, and dead._

Revenge on Bellatrix would be on the top of his list when he next saw her.

"Sirius!" A voice suddenly piped from behind. An expression of bewilderment appeared on Sirius's face when he turned around to face –

A small but round 'O' of recognition formed on his lips. "You…"

"_I'm so sorry, brother."  
_

* * *

After a long, almost endless and tiring argument with Bella, the two Malfoys managed to somehow get rid of her, with the dark haired woman grumbling and huffing angrily to herself as she was guided and pushed into the Floo fireplace by her sister and her husband.

Now it was night, and Lucius had been staring into space, thinking, and lying on the king sized bed he shared with Narcissa, who was reading one of her slushy wizarding romance novels, complete with an audio 'audience' who would_ 'aww'_ at various romantic moments of the story. He had been going over the events which had transpired earlier in the day when he realised something. His expression darkened, his gray eyes turning to an almost-black colour, indicative of his fury.

Narcissa was glancing at him periodically, with a bemused expression on her face at his exaggerated dramatics. He sat up immediately, eyes widened with disbelief. "No, no, no!"

"What's wrong, darling?"

"No, no, no! This can't be!" He wrung his arms in frustration as he tested out his charm work on the _very _expensive sofa that they had in their suite.

By now, Narcissa was worried. _What could be worrying her husband so much?_

"Lucius, wha-"

"The second glamour charm on Mia. It isn't as powerful as I thought it would be." He flinched outwardly, knowing of his wife's wrath.

She was silent, as though contemplating her next move on a chessboard. Finally, it seemed as though she would make her move. "And what will happen?"

"She'll find out _much _sooner than we would want her to." He answered automatically and slowly, choosing his words carefully.

And as he had predicted earlier, she saw red and shrieked, the high pitch reminiscent of her Death Eater sister. "LUCIUS! TELL ME WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NOW!"

And for the first time in his life, Lucius was helpless. "I don't know."

With the book having been tossed aside, Narcissa was worried. Her angry mood dissipating quickly, for she knew being angry wouldn't solve anything, she scrimmaged through her mind, searching for solutions to solve the predicament that they had been thrust into. "Lucius. If we don't think of something in time, _we will die_. And I'm not being dramatic."

She wasn't.

Lucius closed his eyes in frustration and worry. "I know. We're treading on thin ice right now."

"If we don't do something, then all of us are in danger."

"I know. She _can't _find out yet."

* * *

"I just can't wait to get home." Hermione smiled as she chatted amiably with her friends both from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw on the train later that afternoon.

"I know! I just can't wait to have Mum's cooking again." Ron sighed dreamily. Most of the compartment glanced at him wearily and in disgust, dismayed that all he could think about was food.

"You are disgusting, Ronald." Ginny glanced at her brother, dismayed. "How can you _only _think about _food_?"

Neville was shaking his head in disbelief, but smiling nonetheless, and Harry chuckled. It was rather typical of Ron to be like this.

* * *

"_Bellatrix _killed you?" He asked, shocked. Then his expression changed to that of an unsurprised one. "Well, I did know that you two were _eventually _going to kill each other. Seriously. It was just a matter of _when _and _who _would kill whom_ first_, really."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I am _never _going to forgive her for that."

"You have all of eternity to do that."

The brothers caught up some more, for they hadn't been particularly close during the last years of Regulus's life.

"You see, this is where most of the dead come." Regulus continued after a long explanation on Sirius's part.

"They told me that I would be meeting somebody familiar today." Regulus noted. "Mum and Dad are here, you know."

Sirius rolled his eyes, his laughter like a bark and scoffed. "Like they'd want to see me."

"Oh, they most certainly do." Regulus nodded, smiling slightly. "You're supposed to write a list of 'regrets' that you didn't get to do during your life, and making amends with you was one of theirs. That's what the guardians of 'Up There' told me."

"You've got to be _kidding_ me."

* * *

"His favourite sour muggle ones. Those… Lemon Drops."

"No. It's Sour Cream Dots."

"Ha! I knew it wasn't _Sour Cream Dots_. What kind of a password is _that_? Anyway, I'm going to get it correct. Fizzy Squares."

Lucius and Narcissa stood at the gargoyle door, pondering what kind of candy password Dumbledore had in store for them this time.

"Acid Pops. I'm pretty sure it's Acid Pops." Narcissa said determinedly.

"Sugar Canes." Lucius retorted in an insistent tone.

"How about those yucky vampire ones? What were they called again? AH! Blood pops."

"Chocolate Frogs."

"Sugar Quills."

"Bertie Botts' Every Flavoured Beans."

"Rainbow spotties."

Lucius stared at his wife. "They don't even exist!"

And thus a petty argument ensued about whether or not _rainbow spotties _existed. Then it returned back to what the password for the gargoyle (who was evidently shaking with laughter) was.

"Jelly babies."

"That's barbaric! Dumbledore would _never _set such a password. Liquorice Wands."

"Chocolate Unicorns."

"Cookie mixies."

"_COOKIE MIXIES_?"

"Yes, cookie mixies, Lucius. _You have a problem with that_?"

"Yes, I do. _Because they don't exist_!"

All this time, the couple failed to notice the elderly man standing behind them, looking on amusedly. Finally deciding to break up the argument about whether or not _cookie mixies _existed that was about to explode, he stated clearly, "Orange Drops."

The gargoyle slowly slid aside, and the Malfoy couple glanced behind to find Dumbledore standing, and gazing at them with amused eyes.

"Do come in, won't you?" He gestured for the evidently embarrassed blond haired couple to follow him in. Pleasantries were exchanged between the former Hogwarts students and the current Headmaster.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today, Lucius, Narcissa?" Professor Dumbledore smiled serenely.

By now, their petty argument was forgotten and both were focused on the problem at hand.

"Well… you see, Albus… there is a problem…"

* * *

"_But mum!"_ Ronald Weasley whined. "Ginny _can't _be _dating _or _going out _with people from _my _year!"

"Oh _Ronniekins_, you're being pathetic!" George mimicked in the same whiny tone. "And besides, why can't our little Ginbug be _dating _anyway? Not that I want her to though." He added hastily.

Molly Weasley hesitated, stirring the soup in the pot that was for Arthur Weasley with her wand. "Ronald, can't you see I'm busy? You've just come back from Hogwarts, your dad is virtually immobile – I really have a lot to do. And you're _complaining _to me about something as trivial as who your sister is dating?"

Inwardly however, Mrs. Weasley was bursting with curiosity as to _who _this Dean Thomas was. She was completely excited about the prospect of her daughter having her first 'official' boyfriend, but didn't want to seem _too _obvious _yet_. It was true that she would have preferred a certain Boy-who-Lived, but from the lovely things she had been hearing about this Gryffindor, she liked to think that she didn't mind that Dean Thomas wasn't Harry Potter.

Or at least, if she were desperate to have Harry Potter as a son-in-law, she could _pretend _that Dean Thomas was Harry Potter for now…

Meanwhile, as his mother lost herself in her thoughts, Ron sensed the impending violent thunder that was his mother's rage as she began to turn redder and redder. Muttering a quick but reluctant apology (from George's reminder of an elbow nudge), Ron left the room swiftly, and the soup was beginning to smell funny.

_Beep! Beep!_ The wooden stick that was her wand, began glowing white, signaling a cooking emergency. Blinking several times, she jerked back into reality.

"_Oh dear."_

The soup that had originally been in the pot, had splattered all over the kitchen.

* * *

Harry sighed. It was _bad _to be 'home' at the Dursleys. Even if the Weasleys had made threats to a certain Vernon Dursley and his son Dudley. As for Petunia Dursley, she hadn't spoken a word since Harry had arrived 'home'.

The telephone rang. "Boy! Answer the phone!"

Harry rolled his eyes. It was probably going to be 'Aunt' Marge again, berating him (_again_) for causing the accident that made her incapable of walking ever again. Of course, it was that time before third year, when Harry had gotten so angry at 'Aunt' Marge, that a sudden burst of accidental magic had caused her to blow up into a large balloon and float far, far away…

Of course, she had been Obliviated by members of the Ministry of Magic, along with a Memory Modifier, but the fact that she was disabled and had her memories altered slightly did not deter her from selecting Harry as the scapegoat.

**Which was true. I mean, he did blow her up and whatnot, but you know…**

"Hello? Aunt Marge, if you're calling to scream at me again, you're fighting a lost cause. I really don't care what you think about me." Harry said, deadpanned.

He expected a "Don't you be smart with me, you freak of a boy!"response (or something similar), but none came. Instead, a younger, but more feminine voice came through.

"Hello Harry! Since when did _**I **_become your Aunt Marge?" Hermione said, sounding extremely amused.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. "No. She just constantly calls, that's all."

Hermione laughed, but the tone to her voice suddenly became serious. "Anyway, I was just calling to see how you were. They haven't been treating you badly, have they?"

Harry smiled at her concern for him. "Don't worry. I can deal with it. Anyway, it won't be long until I go to the Burrow." He smiled at all the memories that materialised in his mind from thinking about the Burrow.

Then suddenly – he felt immense pain in his chest – Dudley had just returned home and had punched him in the chest. "Oof!"

"What's wrong?" Hermione was quick to notice something.

"Nothing, nothing." Harry reassured her, then he clapped his free hand to his forehead after hearing what Dudley said so loudly. "I better hang up now, 'Mione. See you at the Burrow, okay?"

"Dad! Harry's on the phone with someone!" Dudley said cruelly, having caught Harry on the phone after returning home from a 'bullying session'.

"Stay in one piece, Harry. And I mean it." Hermione said seriously, pretending not to hear the voice in the background.

Harry laughed. "I can't help that trouble is _attracted _to me, can I? It follows me wherever I go!"

Hermione sighed, and wished him to be in one piece. And the sound of a click indicated that the phone line connection was dead.

"Boy! Get off the phone and make dinner!"

Harry rolled his eyes, but obediently went to the kitchen.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Sunlight seeped through the thin gaps of the lilac curtains, and Hermione groaned, burrowing her head into her soft and comfortable pillow. It was the kind of sound that one would make at having to wake up early. She was having the _most _delightful dream ever about… **well, I better leave you all to guess what the dream was about.**

This, my friends, is start to the morning of the summer holidays.

Hermione slowly stretched her arms and legs, slipping on her slippers and made her way to the bathroom. It was a typical morning activity for her to be languidly brushing her teeth, washing her face, combing her hair… everything was ever so relaxed… but as perfect as this morning was, we all know that nothing is _ever _perfect. And her eyes opened in shock. She _did not _just dream about _him _and all that… disgusting!

**Do you really want to know? It's the most juiciest of gossips ever. About H, of course. About anyone else… it would be old news.**

And it was then she noticed it.

It was that exact length of neat and perfect curly white blonde hair and sparkling sapphire blue eyes that she saw in the mirror at the Department of Mysteries. The girl with the appearance so ethereal, so angelic, so perfect.

She couldn't believe that the girl had come to visit her again. But for what?

**So much for H being the brightest witch of her age, eh?**

However, things were different this time. One slight movement of a muscle; the girl with the curly blonde hair would mimic her, and do exactly what she did – at the exact same time. One blink, one flinch, one tap… all so perfectly mimicked by the beautiful girl in the mirror.

Hermione looked at the mirror, horrified and disbelieving. And the angel in the mirror stared back, almost with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. It scared her.

The girl hadn't come visit her, she realised a few moments later – the girl _was _her.

Hermione blinked once, hoping this was all a nightmare. But the blonde hair was still there. Twice, and it was still sparkling glaringly back at her. And by the third time, she was panicking, worried. She glared at her 'new' appearance in disbelief. "No. This can't be! I _can't _**look **like_ - ARGH_!"

She blinked again, breathing in and out a few times, attempting to reassure herself. "Maybe this is just a nightmare. Maybe I should just go back to bed and when I wake up again, none of this happened."

She did just that.

But it was only a few minutes later (it seemed like _hours_ when she awoke again) when her eyes snapped open once more. Touching her head, it seemed that everything had returned to normal. Her hair felt exactly the same as it had last year. And the year before, and the year before that… and so on. Frizzy, messed-up… and familiar.

She rushed into the bathroom, expecting a mass of unruly _brown _hair…. but it was still that same shade of white blonde that she saw only a few minutes before; a shade that she detested seeing immensely at school.

She panicked, for it was the only thing she knew how to do at the moment. "_How _can I _look _like Malfoy?"

And the only thing she knew to do next was to scream. She did.

"_I LOOK LIKE MALFOY?"  
_

* * *

_Downstairs in the kitchen…_

Alan and Emily Granger sat at the breakfast table, doing all sorts of normal things that Muggles do in the mornings, such as reading the newspaper, cooking breakfast, setting up the table… when suddenly a loud scream reverberated downstairs from upstairs –

"_I LOOK LIKE MALFOY?"_

They gave a sideways glance at each other, almost guiltily. They hadn't realised that she would find out so soon. After all, Lucius and Narcissa had emphasised that it would be on the day of her _**seventeenth **_birthday that she would find out. Not in the summer _**before **_her _**sixteenth **_birthday.

"_Oh dear."_

The Grangers sighed, seemingly returning back to their 'daily' morning routine before going to work. Except, this particular morning wasn't very normal at all, as they were going to find out.

What they soon found abnormal to their otherwise 'normal' day, was when an owl tapped gently on the kitchen window. Dark in colour, with the shiniest feathers one could imagine, the owl swooped into the Grangers' kitchen with all the grace and poise that an owl could have. With its head bowed down meekly, as though _literally _bowing to the occupants of the house on the street with the several rose bushes, the owl stuck out a leg, and attached to its leg, was a letter on what seemed to be the finest parchment around.

Emily Granger was staring at the owl in awe. It wasn't long until her husband interrupted her trail of thought. "Erm sweetie... I think you're supposed to _untie _the letter from the owl's leg..."

She instantly snapped out of her trance. "Right. Of course!"

Alan took the small tray of owl treats that was hidden in the pantry, took the biggest one he could see and offered it to the owl. What was so unbelievable about this scene was that the owl turned away from Alan Granger's offer of a quality owl treat, bowed slightly, and flew away.

"That owl's well trained." He commented in an amused tone. "Perhaps he didn't like cheap owl treats."

He walked towards the kitchen table and noticed a knife lying on the table, next to the small pieces that had been the dark coloured seal on the parchment. He then proceeded to read the mysterious letter from over his wife's shoulder. His wife had been muttering to herself whilst reading the long letter, nodding as she skimmed the lines, and then she glanced up at her husband.

* * *

"Mum! Dad!" She started, and noticed the silence in the kitchen. Perhaps it wasn't appropriate to shout, scream or rave about her abnormal appearance, as she took in the neat and tidy state of things in the kitchen that day.

This was _not _normal.

She had been hoping to see her mum humming, singing and twirling about the kitchen in a spontaneous manner, with a pan and wooden spoon in hand, and her dad smiling into the newspaper. The smell of freshly cooked eggs and bacon, and toast. Spilled and a powdered mess of flour, a few (burnt) breadcrumbs on the table, perhaps even a smear of raw egg yolk on the kitchen sink...

The start to a _normal _day, a _normal _weekend.

Anything but this.

Her mum had hunched over in sadness with a heartbroken expression, and her dad's facial features had contorted into a grim, straight line.

"Darling... I'll suppose you'll want to know what's happened to your face today." Emily Granger said, almost conversationally, her heartbroken expression not mirroring the tone of her voice.

Hermione blinked, for her mum had not turned around at all to face her at all. How would she know that her appearance had totally changed – who knew if it was going to be permanent or not?

_Unless..._ The wheels in her fast mind began to turn, piecing everything together... the anomalies from her childhood...

* * *

That conversation with Narcissa Malfoy before first year at Diagon Alley...

_Hermione glanced through the window of bookstore. She had been blessed with the gift of lip reading (well, it was probably just lots of practice), and began to decipher the cryptic dialogue between her mum and the woman she would later recognise to be Draco Malfoy's mother, Narcissa Malfoy._

_Squinting slightly, she concentrated her mind into reading the quick moving lips of Narcissa._

"_Emily! It is a pleasure to see you after all these years. It is nice to see that you have been looking after Hermione so well."_ _Narcissa's sparkling blue eyes twinkled a genuine smile, something that one would not usually expect from the normally cold and detached woman._

"_Narcissa! What a surprise! I did not expect to see you here. Alan and I have been looking after Hermione to the best of our ability."_ _Mrs. Granger replied, smiling slightly._

"_Thank you, Emily. For everything." Narcissa whispered._

What the two women had not counted on was a little eavesdropper listening intently at their conversation.

* * *

Hermione was jolted from her memories, and back to the time at Le Belle Boulevard, that changing room scene…

"_Narcissa!" She exclaimed._

"_Emily!" Narcissa exclaimed, clearly in surprise at seeing her muggle friend at a pureblood designer store._

Mum and Mrs. Malfoy knew each other then… and she remembered many other _peculiar _things that had also happened in the infamous changing room…

* * *

"_You must be Hermione! It's a delight to finally meet you!" Narcissa exclaimed with fake happiness and enthusiasm that one would not be able to detect if they did not know her well, as she wondered whether or not her acting was authentic or not._

"_Hello Mrs. Malfoy. It is a pleasure to meet you." Hermione greeted, smiling demurely.  
_

* * *

And that time at the Quidditch World Cup, she remembered what she had said after she had floated up in a daze - _"You mean... I fell off the ledge, and into the Malfoys' Box?" Hermione shrieked loudly, arms flailing around for effect._

More memories flooded into her mind of the Quidditch World Cup. _That_ voice sounded _so_ familiar…

"_Come back to me..." The angel breathed, smiling in a motherly and comforting way._

"_Darling... come back to me..." The angel breathed once more, in that beautiful wind chime-like voice, so relaxing, so refreshing.  
_

* * *

And Lucius Malfoy's face at the Department of Mysteries…

_His eyes darkened with horror mixed with shock and frustration all at once. She couldn't help but wonder if he had gone mad._

And now she knew he hadn't.

* * *

And she came to a horrible realisation.

**No. NO!**

_It can't be true…_

"Hermione darling?" Her mum's soothing voice buzzed through her ears.

And everything went black.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun! Seems to me that H has finally pieced the puzzle together. Didn't seem that long until she'd find out, eh?**

**Share the love of the episodes with your family and friends, my dear readers. Don't forget to review, whether it is a nice comment or some constructive criticism!**

**You know you love me,**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. Ms Smiles will not be available to update for the next few months or so, for the stress of exams is piling up, and time is not in abundance. She is very sorry, but will get back on track with the production of episodes within the summer months of July and August.**

**Until next time.**

**xoxo.**


	24. Of Malfoys And Mayfairs

_**Chapter Twenty Three: Of Malfoys and Mayfairs**_

**Gossip Girl here. I hope you don't mind too much that Ms Smiles has only recently been able to access a computer and begin writing and planning for future episodes. Her exams have finished, and we all wish her good luck for excellent exam results. Fingers crossed!**

**I have gotten hold of a special memory, an audio type, from one Lucius Malfoy, who kindly offered to extract it in mint condition and in a small vial just for all of you!**

**Now let's jump into my special Pensieve and enjoy the show.  
**

* * *

Michael Trelawney, the Seer from sixteen years ago...

_They have the power to help the Chosen One vanquish the Dark Lord,_

_Born to a family of old, of vast power and great accomplishment._

_An angel from the Light; a devil from the Dark,_

_Two as one; and together culminates in the fall of the Dark Lord on the seventeenth year.  
_

* * *

_A few days before…_

Draco Malfoy sat on his plush bed, wondering what to do. As I've said before, summer break is arguably the most boring time of the year for students.

Blaise was busy somewhere in Italy, Theo was off with a couple of his relatives (cousins, to be precise) exploring South America, and Pansy… she was just too clingy and annoying to even bother tolerating. And she was travelling around Europe, shopping.

_No thank you! _He shuddered.

On the other hand, his parents… Lucius was probably off doing some illegal Death Eater activity, he thought scornfully.

You see, Lucius, with his many connections that held high positions in the Ministry and elsewhere, managed to squeeze himself out of a sticky situation – he had ensured himself a get-out-of-jail-free-with-no-strings-attached pass from Azkaban after the incident at the Department of Mysteries. As for Narcissa, she had become reclusive and locked up in the main parlour since Aunt Bellatrix had returned to Azkaban as a result of breaking into the Department of Mysteries. Thus, he was alone for the day and obviously had nothing better to do.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind. It had only been a few years ago since he had discovered about _that issue_, and managed to milk some useful information from his Aunt Bellatrix, his mother's sister, who was clearly mad, but still helpful in many ways nonetheless.

Thus, he decided to spend the day at home.

He slowly took out a yellowed piece of parchment from the drawer and placed it – straight – against the horizontal edge of the dark mahogany desk that was in the room. Over the years, this room had become his private study where he could read his books or write letters to friends and relatives who lived in other countries. He particularly valued his correspondence with Grandmother Malfoy, who lived in Madrid and Barcelona (she alternated between the two every so often) after moving from the South of France a few years ago. After Abraxas Malfoy's death, she had become a jetsetter, and lived in places around the globe – this was therefore why she had accumulated (on her own) a collection of connections, and often had exciting stories to tell.

Today, the private study would serve a different purpose. He would make a list.

* * *

_Present day. Malfoy Manor, the main parlour room._

Narcissa Malfoy sat stiffly on the recliner, seeming to be staring intently at something of _some sort_ in the plush room, so lavishly decorated it was almost an eye sore to glance around at. It seemed as though hours had passed by since she had last twitched at all, and something was clearly wrong with the woman. At a closer glance (and after some observation) of the accomplished and gifted woman of the formidable Black and Malfoy families, one would notice her lips quivering, as though she was in fear of something, which was rather odd of someone her stature. After some more observation of any unusual activity (if at all), one would notice a large portrait on the wall opposite.

Inside the frame, was a woman seated in a relaxed manner with ornate décor as her surroundings. She had eyes dazzling like the sky on a sunny day that seemed to pierce your soul, a long, golden, curly mane and the familiar high cheekbones of a 'well-bred' pureblood family.

She was beautiful.

It wouldn't have been inappropriate to say that she and Narcissa seemed like twins. Really. And if one moved their gaze further downwards, they would notice a plaque underneath the painting.

_Georgiana Malfoy_.

* * *

"Wake up, 'Mi." A soft and feminine voice echoed. The woman patted the girl's cheek lightly, in an almost desperate manner. "Do wake up, darling."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, almost delicately, and she sat up immediately, surveying her surroundings groggily. "It wasn't a dream at all, was it?"

Emily Granger grimaced. "I'm sorry, darling, that you had to find out this way. It wasn't supposed to be for another year or so."

Hermione's eyes flashed at the casual dismissal of when she would have been told, had the glamour charm not worn off so early. "I-I... just can't believe you've _lied _to me all my life! And I-I don't even know what to refer to you as anymore!" Hermione cried softly, sounding extremely hurt. All of it was just too hard to absorb.

Alan flinched.

"But I really _can't _be a Malfoy!" Hermione continued in a desperate ramble, sobbing, as though trying to convince herself that none of this was true. "This is not true… none of this is true… it can't be real. I can't-"

"You can't help who is your birth family, Hermione." Alan managed to croak out, sadly.

"They're _Death Eaters_!" Hermione burst out in fury. Still, none of this information was getting into the system. It was just too unbelievable, despite Hermione accidentally having stumbled upon her true parentage back at the Department of Mysteries.

The Grangers' eyes widened considerably.

Alan was the first to step in. "Don't-"

"Hermione, dear-" Emily was interrupted swiftly by loud sobs.

The woman that the Ravenclaw had previously believed to be her mother, felt a rush of motherly instincts overcome her, and hugged the young girl who was now a Malfoy. The young girl did not resist her adoptive mother's soothing touch as she sobbed until tears could fall no longer.

* * *

"Darling, you need not to worry so much. I'm sure it will all work out, somehow. Fate will lead the way."

Had Narcissa not been trained vigorously as a young girl in elegance, poise and eloquence, she would have jumped out of her seat in surprise. She had not heard the soothing and feminine voice in years. The younger woman guessed that the portrait spoke because she felt the need to comfort her, to the best of her ability. Narcissa gazed towards the portrait that had brought her immense comfort and feelings of safety over the years and smiled slightly.

"I hope so."

"Narcissa! You really should stop that fidgeting of yours!" The woman from the portrait admonished in a stern voice.

Narcissa glanced up, surprised that she had noticed the slight movement she had been making. The woman in the chair sighed. Silence soon filled the room as the woman in the portrait thought something helpful to say.

"Hermione will find out, which is inevitable. It's just a matter of when she will." She paused, wondering whether or not she should continue. "Life goes on, and you just embrace what happens along the way."

The woman in the chair looked up towards the portrait with a slightly grateful smile on her face.

* * *

"SIRIUS!" A distinctively masculine voice rumbled out of nowhere.

"You never came to visit us!" A feminine voice echoed accusingly, yet it tinkled like wind chimes at the same time.

The shaggy haired man whipped around in surprise, having expected a fairly subdued day ahead. His eyes widened when he opened the door to his house.

"James? Lily?" He asked questioningly. "You're-"

"Yeah. We get it - it's been like that for almost sixteen years. But so are you." Lily answered bluntly with a friendly gleam in her emerald eyes. "We live just across the street. Why did you not come?"

"We only just found out you were here this morning." James chimed in.

"I-I…" The usually charming man was lost for words. He had not expected to see his dead best friend and his wife at his door.

"I think Sirius has gone mad." James concluded, smirking. "Come here, man!"

The raven haired man at the door embraced his long-time best friend and Marauder. It was very emotional, as it had been sixteen years since they had last spoken.

"I missed you, buddy."

* * *

He stared at his list of all the girls in his year. There were so many… just how could he narrow it down? Sighing, he was aware of the fact that hours had passed since he had woken up at 5am that morning. He took a swig of water from his glass, and sat back down again.

_I think I need a third party opinion…_ and promptly flooed Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini, who were supposed to be on holiday, but he just didn't care. This was important.

* * *

_Up There._

Sirius had been staying at the Potter house for a few days (a few days _Up There_was only a few hours on Earth), for he had yet to have been given a proper home and welcoming from the gods. He had caught up with many of his friends during his Hogwarts days, the friends who had been killed in the first uprising, the first war against the Dark Lord. He had missed all of them, but only one of them stood out in his eyes.

Caroline. The only girl he had ever loved, despite his overconfident playboy exterior. She was beautiful, intelligent and most importantly for his parents, pureblood. Ironic, wasn't it, with his rebellious nature made quite prominent particularly in his later years at school. They happily approved of this relationship, which was tempestuous and illicit at Hogwarts. He was a Gryffindor, and she a Slytherin.

All seemed harmonious until that fateful summer holiday, which seemed to change her everything. Her seemingly innocent and sweet features were marred by dark eye rings and sickly, sallow skin; her hair had been harshly scraped into a drooping bun. Her bright and lively personality had completely dissipated into a bitter and cold one. And it was implied that she was an extreme supporter of the Dark Lord and therefore most people soon avoided her like the plague. Her reputation as a popular and nice girl was tarnished with her association with the dark side.

Worst of all, the second-to-last day before summer (end of sixth year) started, she broke up with Sirius – through an enchanted black rose. She had transfigured the red one he had given her, with two words in her distinct elegant and cursive handwriting:

_It's over._

The whole of Hogwarts knew of this incident, for it spread like wildfire. And soon, the school began to take sides, and the majority sympathised with Sirius.

The first few weeks of that particular summer holiday were miserable, for the parents of Mayfair and Black, were close. Her parents thought that he was too 'Gryffindor-ish', and had found someone better for her – Patrick Malfoy. To the Mayfairs, he had a good name, was well-bred with charm to match. Moreover, he was a known womaniser and later a serial Death Eater, but the Mayfairs were not made aware of this. He was eventually caught and sent to Azkaban and given two Dementor's kisses for good measure. The parents had a huge fight, which led to a raging argument between the former golden couple, and her Flooing away, furious, never to speak to him again.

Patrick and Caroline were immediately engaged and married after Caroline's seventh year graduation, which was meticulously reported by the Daily Prophet. His parents were immensely disappointed at the fact that he had let her slip through his fingers, and thus more arguments ensued about his ex, his future and his notorious womanising behaviour at Hogwarts.

It wasn't long until the teenage boy ran away and was blasted off the Black family tree.

* * *

"This better be important." An irritated looking Blaise Zabini sat on one of the recliners of Draco Malfoy's private study.

"Oh, _Blaisey_, don't look so glum!" Draco mocked in a high pitched voice. "I'm _sure _the women you were with will still be waiting after I've finished with you here."

Blaise had been about to reply, when Theo tumbled out of the fireplace, smelling heavily of ink and parchment. Instead, he asked, "What the heck have you been doing? Aren't you supposed to be _trekking_?" He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the word - he himself would _never _be caught doing something like that.

"Just researching. We're not due to go for another 2 weeks. I thought I told you…?" Theo trailed off, not caring that both of his best friends were sniggering at what seemed to them, his 'nerdy' behaviour. "So why did you interrupt me? I was just getting towards the most interesting part of the research… in fact, they say that in the very South of the Americas, the-"

"Shut up, Nott." Blaise said sharply, more so than he had originally intended. "We really don't need to hear about it."

Theo looked slightly affronted at the sharp tone, and thus kept his mouth shut. However, it was soon evident that he didn't take it too seriously.

"So." Draco started, interrupting the awkward silence. "Theo, I trust you still remember what I told you back in third year?"

Theo frowned. "You told me a lot… back in third year."

Collecting his thoughts, it seemed like he remembered clearly and gasped dramatically, a hand on his heart. "_No! You found her?_"

"Uhh.. guys? I'm feeling kind of left out here… anybody care to tell me who _she _is?" Blaise asked, almost in a sarcastic manner. Then he gasped, just as theatrically as Theo had. "_Don't _tell me that _Draco _here had a woman in third year?"

Draco and Theo began chortling at Blaise's expense. Oh, the Italian boy was just _too _much.

"No! It's nothing like that-" Theo said, in between chuckles, much to Blaise's dismay.

"I have a twin sister."

* * *

He became lost in his thoughts as he remembered the night when he saw her.

_He had been slowly walking down the stairs, as though he wanted to make a grand and dramatic entrance into the Potters' living room. All was loud and noisy, as many guests began to pile into the fairly vast room. Nobody had noticed him yet, until he closed the door. The click signaled his arrival into the room. Everyone present glanced up and cheered at the sight of the familiar shaggy haired man, who looked much better compared to the years leading right before his death._

_He shook hands with the men, hugged and air-kissed the women, charming everyone all over again. He revamped all of his silly jokes, told of all the funny stories in his lifetime on Earth, and spoke fondly of his godson, Harry Potter. When the doorbell chimed softly, Sirius immediately went to the door, relieving James and Lily of their duties as hosts._

"_What are you doing here?" He blurted out, without thinking of what to say properly._

_She looked stunning, even in just a dark green jumper and casual muggle jeans. The eye rings and sallow skin which had been present in sixth year had disappeared, almost entirely. Her skin glowed healthily and it seemed that Caroline Malfoy née Mayfair was not the girl who had changed completely back in sixth year._

_Just by seeing her, he fell in love all over again._

_He noticed that she was not wearing a ring on her left hand. On that finger. Sirius instinctively grasped at his memories, foggily remembering what Lily had told him a few days back when he caught her favourite necklace clasped around her petite neck._

"_**Here, we only have the things we treasure the most."**_

"_You've realised that I don't have one anymore, haven't you?" She asked softly and using rather vague words deliberately. They both knew it. Those were the first words she had uttered to him in over twenty years._

_He only nodded, not trusting himself to say anything which would worsen their broken relationship further._

"_Sirius. I-"_

_Hearing her say his name made his heart break into a million more pieces._

"_What… do you want from me?" He managed to croak out, brokenly._

"_Caroline!" A feminine voice came from behind. "You came!"_

_The honey haired woman's light green eyes brightened considerably at the sight of the other woman. "Lily! How have you been?"_

_Sirius prevented a sigh from escaping his lips as he smiled at the redhead who was his best friend's wife. Lily Potter hugged the woman who was a Malfoy when she died, as she remembered to cautiously glance over at Sirius and his reaction to seeing the girl he had loved and probably still did love for what seemed like eternity. She gave him an apologetic expression and swiftly invited the other woman into her home, exchanging pleasantries at the same time._

_Soon, it was the two of them again. It was a long silence before anyone decided to speak._

"_Sirius… we need to talk." She said simply._

_He scoffed. "Talk about what? You're over twenty years too late to be able to amend anything right."_

_She let out a small sigh, but did not let her calm composure slip. She said in an almost desperate voice, "I need to make things right. I need to tell you everything that happened."_

_It was Sirius's turn to sigh. "You're too late." He insisted, and walked back into the crowd of mingling people._

There was a knock at the door. The sound of this particular knock was decisive and assured, but nobody knew who it was. Sirius rolled his eyes, as though realising that this was a déjà vu to the night of the Potters' party. Nobody was at home, so he went to get the door. The door slowly opened…

* * *

"Wait – _you have a twin sister_?" Blaise asked incredulously. "But-"

"Yeah, I know." Draco dismissed the question he just _knew _Blaise was to ask.

"Why did you not tell me?" Blaise asked, almost flippantly. However, Draco and Theo knew him too well and knew he was hurt that he was left out of this important piece of information.

"Well… you were on that exchange programme at Beauxbatons, and that was the time when Draco found out he had one." Theo explained, knowing that Draco would have had a foot in his mouth once he opened it and offended Blaise, who nodded, as though pacified.

From what we can tell, he wasn't, but let it go for the time being.

"So do you have any ideas as to who it is?" Blaise asked, after a long silence, both Draco and Theo afraid of his reaction. He inwardly smirked when they breathed obvious sighs of relief.

"Well, I also found out in third year, that she goes to Hogwarts, and we can assume that she's in the same year-"

"Just tell us." Theo rolled his eyes. "Stop babbling. We all know how much you want to meet this girl."

Draco glared at him, but continued nonetheless. "I've narrowed it down to about 10 possibilities."

* * *

Once her sobbing had subsided and the teenager had no energy to speak up, they began to explain what they knew.

"Well 'Mi…" Emily began. "It began with a pleasant Tuesday evening when we heard a crack outside."

"We hadn't seen the Malfoys in about 2 years," Alan continued. "When Lucius suddenly appeared at the door."

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange glared at the surroundings of her prison cell, as she cleared out the wailing echoes of the ghosts, Dementors and prisoners of Azkaban. _Just how did I get here again?_

She sighed, rolling her eyes. _How on earth did Sirius escape anyway? It's virtually impossible here. _A million thoughts rushed through her mind in a vast clutter.

This was going to be another long 10 years (at least!) in seclusion.

* * *

So the boys proceeded to narrow down the list to the last 6.

"You know Draco, the girl could easily be a Gryffindor… not just from the other houses…" Blaise trailed off.

Draco closed his eyes.

"You didn't think of that, did you?" Theo enquired amusedly. Then he and Blaise proceeded to have a chuckle at Draco's expense, who clearly wasn't pleased with how the narrowing down was going. In fact, the list only seemed to be getting bigger.

"It's called common sense, _Drakey_."

"Shut up!"

* * *

Light taps to the window jolted Narcissa from her dream-like reverie. She glanced up wearily, and noticed a tawny but timid owl sitting patiently on the window sill, waiting to be allowed entry into her beloved parlour. She did not recognise it. Out of habit, she wrinkled her nose slightly in distaste, for it was a typical habit of a Black. She did not want the owl (I mean, who knew whether it had been trained properly!) to stain the fluffy white carpet which she had fought valiantly to preserve spotlessly over the years.

Sighing, she hesitated before undoing the lock that held the intricately designed window together. All owls that swooped by the Malfoy home, with mail either of immense importance or not, knew to drop it by at a certain window on the ground floor.

This one clearly didn't.

Which meant that either… Lucius and/or Draco were in trouble, or her mother. The latter of the three was not to be surprising – after her husband's death, she had caused quite a bit of mayhem for both the Blacks and the Malfoys. I'll explain more on that at a later stage. Or maybe it was the house elves who did not direct it towards the specific window.

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

"Mother." He masked his surprise quite well, but not enough to hide away from the woman he called his mother until his seventeenth year of life.

The familiar looking woman who had raised him for seventeen years smiled slightly, but it came out as a grimace. "Sirius."

Silence ensued as mother and son gazed everywhere but at each other. Being the impatient man he was, Sirius cut to the chase, albeit a little curtly. "What do you want?"

Walburga Black was caught off-guard, but quickly composed herself. "I just wanted to-" She hesitated.

"Just wanted to..?" Sirius's tone of voice teetered on the edge of rudeness. His mother's hesitancy reminded him more of that fateful party night with Caroline.

_It was slightly later in the night, and everyone had had a glass of champagne or two in their systems. Sirius was sitting outside on a garden chaise, gazing towards the inky blue sky which was dotted with small dots – the stars._

"_Tonight is beautiful, is it not?" A familiar voice came from behind. He didn't need to turn around to see and confirm that the voice belonged to one Caroline Malfoy. Or as he had known her before her marriage, Caroline Mayfair._

"_Yes it is," Sirius breathed as he drank in more of the night sky._

"_It hasn't been like this for a long time." Both man and woman were silently staring at the stunning night sky._

_It wasn't long until Caroline broke the silence. "I need you to just listen to me. Is that alright with you?"_

_Somehow, Sirius found himself nodding, inwardly bopping himself against walls and heavy tomes of books for agreeing and resting his head against the tastefully chosen garden chaise._

"_First of all, I never loved Patrick. All of it was arranged by my parents. Grandmamma found that we were losing media and press coverage, and wanted the Mayfair family to be firmly in the spotlight, with at least one report every few days. What else but to arrange a marriage and make sure we went out together at specific times, where the media would be?" Caroline closed her eyes for a moment, almost sadly, as though to compose herself, and opened them, wide, once more._

"_Grandmamma, having trampled over many hearts in her day, disregarded my happiness, our relationship and your feelings, so she came up with the idea of the rose. And I didn't know about it until I saw you holding it in the Great Hall. I was told to ignore everyone and keep up a cold front through seventh year, and this broke my heart, as did my having to break up with you. To be honest, nobody's interested in the boring Mayfair men – my father, James and Edward were all married with kids; Father with three, James and Edward with one each with Melina Fairchild and Amalissa St. Clair at the time respectively, and thus were not really too fascinating to read about. Grandmamma wanted to cement my status as a young pureblood socialite. So Patrick and I got engaged, then married. Our marriage was cordial, and although he still maintained his womanising ways, he was sweet to me."_

_Here, Sirius rolled his eyes. He really did not need to be listening to how Patrick Malfoy was 'sweet' to her, the girl – the woman, he loved. "And I need to know this because…?" He concealed the loud shattering of his heart, which splintered into smaller pieces, slowly dissipating away, with a façade of indifference._

"_He never abused me, which contrasts to the stereotypical image of a typical pureblood marriage. Although I never loved him…" She pretended not to hear what he had said, tear tracks more evident on her cheeks. "We were fond of each other. Friends, almost._

"_I'm not asking for your forgiveness or your respect, because I know that I lost it completely the moment you received the rose. I just want you to know what I went through."_

_Sirius's demeanour completely changed from calm to beyond angry. "**You **want ME to know what you went through? Hell, you don't even know what **I **went through!"_

_Caroline's eyes widened. "What did you go through?" She asked softly, after a while._

"_Broken. Devastated. I thought we would __**last**__!I loved you! And… you just allowed your grandmother and the rest of your family to toss what we had away…" He trailed off, not wanting to elaborate further._

_Caroline's bright eyes dimmed. "I never had a choice."_

_And this time, she was the one who walked away._

"Sirius?" His mother's voice jerked him out of his reverie. "I know you loved her. And you seem like you still do."

Sirius stared at his mother, the woman who had blasted him off the family tree, and asked stupidly, "Who?"

"Don't play stupid, Sirius. I meant Caroline."

Sirius inwardly rolled his eyes. That woman mentioned was the root to all of his problems _Up There_. He then realised that somehow, his mother had invited herself (typical, that was) into the Potter home and gazing around curiously, but not with distaste.

* * *

"Three left, guys." Theo said, almost relieved. By now, Blaise had _almost _forgotten about his Italian holiday that had been cut short.

"Alyssa Jones… Matilda Rowling… and Hermione Granger."

"Ironic how they're all muggleborns, eh?" Blaise smirked. "Granger especially… with her S.P.E.W crap and all."

"They all show exceptionally unusual grace and poise for muggleborns… have you seen some of them?" Theo asked disgustedly. "Creevey's brother, Derryl is disgusting."

"Yeah, but he's a guy…?" Blaise trailed off, not entirely sure where this was going. "And I believe his name is Darren."

"I'm pretty sure it's Derryl."

"Darren."

"Guys…" Draco started warningly. The blond haired boy rolled his eyes when they began bickering away, completely forgetting about the purpose as to why they were there today.

"Derryl!"

"Darren!"

"No, it's Derryl!"

"Darr-"

"Guys! His name's _Dennis_, if you must know." Draco said dryly.

"Oh yeah…!" The bickering had stopped and both seemed as though they had been enlightened by something.

"Wait… Draco, how _in the name of Merlin _do you know that?"

"It's because I _observe_."

Exasperated looks were directed at the white blond teen.

"Now back to what we were doing. I don't think it's Jones, because she just shouts 'I'm _so _not a pureblood!'"

Theo chuckled. "I second that. Blaise?"

"Yeah, totally."

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy stood at the familiar door she had stood on with her husband sixteen years ago, wondering what she should do next. She mentally admonished herself for being so timid and shy, not taking any initiative – this was not a situation she had experienced many a time before and thus she was quite unfamiliar with what to do.

She closed her eyes, and counted to three. Raising a fist to gently tap on the door, she expected to hear the sound of her fist colliding with the solid door. This did not happen.

Only a voice. "Narcissa! You're here."

* * *

Soon, Sirius found himself sobbing his heart out on his mother's shoulder.

_I am such a wuss. _He thought to himself. But it was worth it. The reconciliation with her. He missed his mother's occasional comfort over the years, and even missed her shouting at him. The Potter Manor was his second home, but it was nothing compared to his real one.

"Where's Father?" He managed to blurt out, not missing the fleeting grimace on his mother's face.

Silence…

"He's… not here." Walburga Black said finally, relieved that she had reconciled with the son she had disowned back on Earth.

Sirius blinked, and seemed to recompose himself. "I see."

The tense atmosphere dissipated when they moved onto other trivial topics, such as the constantly beautiful weather in their world, Harry Potter, and laughter at his escapades with the Marauders, steering away from the topics of Orion Black and Caroline Malfoy, née Mayfair.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy seated herself relatively comfortably on the Grangers' plushy dark sofa, and made idle conversation with Alan as Emily went to make tea, giving Hermione some time to think for a while.

"I just want to really emphasise my gratitude for everything you've done for us, for Hermione. Are you really sure that you don't want anything in return?"

Alan smiled and shook his head. "There is no need for anything in return. You and Lucius, although it may not be obvious – you gave us a gift, even if it was only temporary. It was a pleasure – we love her as though she was of our own blood."

Narcissa smiled, evidently pleased by the answer. They sat in a comfortable silence together in the living room, waiting for Emily's tea which seemed to be long overdue.

* * *

"I think it's Granger. I really do, Draco." Blaise announced all of a sudden. "She just has that _air _about her. She's snobby to match, too."

"Granger's not snobby!" Theo defended.

"Yeah, we know how much of a _crush_ you have on her." Draco laughed. "OMGEE, Granger's Potion was so good today – it smelled of lavenders! OMGEE, Granger turned that teacup into a miniature sofa! OMGEE, Granger is just so _beautiful_, OMGEE, Granger is such a-"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Theo rolled his eyes good naturedly. "She's a nice girl, that's all. And I wouldn't like her anyway. Her hair is just too… no comment."

"Agreed. No comment." Blaise emphasised, smirking.

"I think it's Rowling." Theo muttered a few moments later.

"You think so?" Draco asked, worried. What if neither of them were his sister? "I think so too. So Rowling it is?"

Theo nodded. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"But then…" Draco started.

"There are no _but thens_!" Blaise exclaimed, exasperated. "We've come to our conclusion, so just _stick to it_."

"No. This is a valid point. A really important one too." Draco argued, tired of the whole process also.

Blaise and Theo sighed. "What is it?" They asked together.

"Aunt Bella… referred to her as _Mia._"

"So it's not either of them, then?" Theo groaned.

"We're only assuming that Mother and Father insisted that her adoptive parents kept her first name. So that means…" He trailed off, the wheels turning rapidly in his mind.

"It's Granger." Blaise finished. They all groaned, just as Blaise began to smirk.

"Yeah, yeah." Theo flicked his hand dismissively. "You…"

"Were right." Blaise finished, grinning triumphantly.

"_Oh, I'm just the best_!" He gloated, as his best friends rolled their eyes in unison.

* * *

Upstairs, Hermione lay on her bed, the image to an outside, one of a typical teenager. Hermione Granger – or shall we now refer her to as, Hermione Malfoy, was different to a 'typical teenager'. She was a magical being, a witch, having had the best of both worlds being raised as a muggleborn – the muggle world, and the wizarding one.

In addition to her not being a typical teenager, she was the twin to Draco Malfoy (she had worked that out herself), and thus her parents were Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. They were near the top of the pureblood hierarchy, if not at the top, as it had been for many generations. Therefore, they were constantly under tight scrutiny because of their immense prominence in society. Narcissa often appeared in women's magazines with her work as a philanthropist and for being an excellent hostess and party planner at the highly anticipated annual Malfoy balls and celebrations.

Hermione shook her head. All of this was too confusing. This wasn't at all possible. It meant that her whole life had been a lie…

"'Mi, dear…?" A familiar voice sounded from the door. Hermione didn't answer and heard footsteps shuffling towards her. A hand was placed on her shoulder, gently, and almost comfortingly.

"It was for the best, right?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Of course it was, darling." Emily Granger said soothingly, rubbing circles on the young teen's back. "Everything we did for you was."

"Including your lying to me?" Hermione blurted out, not thinking ahead or straight. The amount of time she had had to think had been ample since this morning, when she had discovered significant alterations to her appearance. The young woman had calmed down and was speaking rationally, coherently. Emily flinched.

"I'm sorry, mum." It was still a habit. "I know it was for the best. But I still can't get my head around the fact that I'm _related _to the Malfoys."

Emily chuckled. "They're good people, 'Mi. I suppose it's just the first impressions that come straight to mind."

"I hope so." Hermione answered, as Emily guided her to the door and downstairs.

* * *

"Granger's got unusual poise and grace for a muggleborn." Theo noted.

"She even sticks her nose in the air. Remember the time when we returned from Beauxbatons?" Blaise commented. "That's totally a sign of a Malfoy."

Blaise and Theo sniggered as the latter tried to nod in agreement. Draco was silent, as though trying really hard to absorb this information into the system.

* * *

"Why are you so quiet, mum?" Hermione asked quietly, as she arrived into the room with Alan Granger and Narcissa Malfoy. She didn't know that the latter had come, for she had only seen her adoptive father in the corner of her eye.

Emily smiled. "I'm just going to miss you so much." She proceeded to hug her adoptive daughter, who hugged back, just as tightly.

"Me too."

Narcissa gasped, albeit quite loudly, when she sighted her daughter. She was a beauty and a heartbreaker for sure. She was a mixture of Narcissa herself, Georgiana, as well as their distinctive blonde hair.

Hermione turned towards the sound of the gasp. "You're my mother." She said simply, and inside, she was a little intimidated by Narcissa Malfoy's reputation as an ice queen.

The elder Malfoy did not know what to say or do. Instinctively, she bounced from her seat and rushed (as fast as a pureblood could) to hug her only daughter, the one she and Lucius protected.

It seemed a long time until they pulled away from each other, crying. Narcissa had her daughter back, and Hermione had discovered her true identity. Narcissa then apologised, for it wasn't entirely proper nor appropriate to hug someone like that when they had only just met them. She explained that she knew Hermione must have been overwhelmed by everything.

* * *

Caroline sat in her home, alone and thinking. She recalled all her favourite memories when she had been alive, especially the moments with Sirius as a teenager. She distinctively remembered the time when Sirius had been coaxed into taking her to a posh and purebloods-only (at the time) restaurant, _Sakura_.

_She had arrived at the restaurant, alone. Slightly insulted that Sirius had thought not to pick her up, she entered through the glass doors, not expecting anything too fancy, despite Sakura's reputation as an excellent place for romantic dates for both the young and the old. Everything was dark inside. She noticed the shadows of people sitting at their tables, excitedly whispering, anticipating what was to happen. And then –_

_A single spotlight shone on a recognisable figure. Sirius Black, who held a microphone in one hand, and his other one down at the side… began to sing, and walked towards her, when suddenly another spotlight shone on her. She flushed from embarrassment, and Sirius merely smiled and guided her towards their table and sat her down, still singing at the same time. This was such a romantic gesture._

_When he finished his last note, the room lit up to the sound of loud applause, much to Sirius's delight. She knew how much he loved the attention. Caroline smiled at him and boldly stood up to kiss his cheek._

"_Thank you." She breathed._

Her trip down memory lane halted when she heard the sound of a car stop by at the house opposite. The opposite house in the neighbourhood had not been occupied since her arrival into _Up There_. Caroline was not considered to be a particularly curious person, but she really wanted to know the occupant of the opposite house. She impulsively strode out of her house, making sure that she had her keys in case the door accidentally closed and locked her out because of the wind. She glanced towards her mailbox, which had cursive lettering of her name, _Caroline Mayfair_. She proceeded to take her gaze across to the mailbox belonging to the house opposite.

The mailbox had begun to magically write its familiar cursive handwriting on itself.

Her heart stopped. It couldn't be.

But it was.

The mailbox opposite belonged to one Sirius Black. She sighed.

Irony still existed even in the afterlife.

* * *

Sirius smiled.

Finally. He had his own house. His car stopped at the front of his house and he stood there, gazing at his beautiful new home. He pitied himself because he had it all to himself. The gods had offered him this neighbourhood, much to James and Lily's delight – they lived in the house next door. He glanced towards their house, thinking that he would go visit them after he unpacked. Then as though he knew something, he glanced towards the house opposite. It was a white house, which gave off a fairytale vibe, picturesque and idyllic.

Then he glanced to the mailbox, and groaned.

_Caroline Mayfair._

The name which had haunted him for years shone at him, and he cursed himself for his horrible luck. For the rest of eternity, he would have to encounter her many more times.

_Ugh. She's going to be extremely difficult to avoid now.  
_

* * *

Together, they took a stroll around the park, promising to be back soon as they chatted, mainly about Hermione's life. It wasn't long until both of them sat comfortably on the park bench, gazing at the beautiful but ancient oak trees and small flowers. An outsider would have thought that they were a typical mother and daughter, but as we all know, they are not.

"I was raised well." Hermione continued, as she smiled at the mention of her adoptive parents, which broke Narcissa's heart in the way where she never got to raise Hermione herself. "I love them."

"Well, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself lots when you arrive at our manor." Narcissa smiled, wishing that their conversation wasn't so stilted, but comfortable.

Soon, they arrived back to the Grangers, and Emily had packed the rest of Hermione's things, much to Hermione's sadness.

"I promise to write!" She exclaimed as Narcissa opened the front door and walked to the silver limousine outside.

"Of course, dear. And don't forget to visit!" Emily smiled sadly as she saw her adoptive daughter walk off with one of her good friends.

"Goodbye, darling." Alan said sadly as he hugged the teenager.

* * *

Somehow, she had plucked up the courage to see him, and ended up at the door to his house. Obviously he had already been welcomed into _Up There _by the gods, and had been given a house to call his own.

Sirius opened the door without checking through the peephole, remembering Lily's other words from the other night. What was it with his constant remembering of things these days?

"_**It's an honest place here, nobody lies, robs or speaks badly of others. If it occurs… well, I've heard that something bad happens to them. It's really a perfect utopia, the world that should have been on Earth, but instead it was plagued by prejudice and discrimination."**_

He winced when he saw the distinctive features of Caroline Mayfair.

"Why won't you listen, or talk to me?" She asked, almost pleadingly. If he had not known better, he would have fallen for one of the old tricks.

He blinked. "What do you want?"

"I'm-" She hesitated. "There's something you need to know before we never speak again for all of eternity."

He blinked, a little surprised by the dramatics that were being displayed by the woman of Mayfair descent. "Okay…?"

_Here goes nothing_, she thought. "I-I… still love you." When the words left her lips, she had no regrets – she had been quite impressed by her bravery.

He blinked twice. "_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me." She said, snappishly, not willing to repeat her courageous feat once more. It was already difficult enough to say it once, and she knew she couldn't say it again without knowing what Sirius felt. Silence seemed to have enveloped its arms around Sirius, for his eyes were slightly wider than usual, and his posture stiff.

"You're still married to him and he's probably here-" He blurted out. It was the first thing he could think of to say.

"I can assure you, Sirius," He flinched at the cold sound of his name coming from her lips. "Patrick Malfoy is most certainly not here."

Silence ensued as Sirius's eyes narrowed, but if you looked closer, you could see that he was in a state of shock. However, he remained stiff and quiet. Sensing that Sirius Black was not to speak another word to her again, she turned her back and flounced away back to her own house, the house opposite his house. Had she worn robes, the material would have billowed about in the calm breeze.

* * *

He ran out of the room, Blaise and Theo calling after him.

_No. She can't be._

_Not… Granger?_

He disregarded the presence of his friends and towards the balcony overlooking the front door. It took him quite a while to get there, for his room was all the way in the West Wing, and the main entrance to Malfoy Manor was in the East Wing. It also can be noted that Draco had forgotten that he was a wizard – it was possible for people to floo to different wings of the manor.

He was just in time to see a beautiful girl, with the face of an angel with poise and elegance, step onto the marble floor of the foyer with his mother, who was beaming widely. He turned away, thinking.

_That girl does not look like Granger at all._

Another thing he realised – no wonder why his mother had been distant every year on his birthday.

**What we all want to do now is to put our faces in our hands – our D seems to have become quite dense. Not to worry – he's only in a state of shock. Only time will tell as to how D responds to H's arrival!  
**

* * *

As Hermione got out of the car, she was impressed by the large grounds and white manor that was Malfoy Manor.

"All of this belongs to you too now, dear." Narcissa's voice came from behind. Hermione gasped slightly, and followed Narcissa to the door.

Narcissa tapped the door and muttered. "We need the door to recognise you too." She took out her wand and murmured an incantation, of a language that Hermione did not understand.

"There we go." Narcissa beamed and allowed Hermione to step into the house first.

The younger Malfoy felt a burst of magic surge in her, which as Narcissa had said before, meant that the manor recognised her. Hermione glanced around the foyer in disbelief. Disbelief that she had a new identity now, a new life ahead of her. The balcony overlooking the foyer was where she caught a flash of blond hair turn away.

_Mal- no wait. I'm a Malfoy too now. Am I supposed to call him… Draco then? _Her nose wrinkled slightly at this thought.

"Please wait in here, dear. I need to run some errands – in fact, why don't you speak to your great grandmother?" Narcissa asked.

Narcissa smiled her approval as Hermione nodded hesitantly, but obediently. The former gracefully stepped out of the room. The latter, however, whirled around as though to find a person, but observed the large portrait first with a blank expression.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione said suddenly, almost demurely to the portrait. "I'm-"

"Hermione. Yes, I know you. And I've heard many stories about you – you're the brightest witch of your generation, which I'm extremely proud of. I'm your great-grandmother, you know." The talking portrait belonging to Georgiana Malfoy replied brightly.

Silence ensued, as Hermione flushed with embarrassment – even her great-grandmother knew of her, and she was only a portrait!

"Are you waiting for Narcissa?" The portrait asked, breaking the silence. In her lifetime, Georgiana Malfoy was one to make and continue conversations - sometimes. Despite this, she had a quiet demeanour and only said things that were wise and worth saying aloud. She was well-liked by her peers because of her open, fairly vibrant and intriguing personality which emerged at parties and social gatherings.

Hermione glanced up. "Yes, I am. She asked me to wait for her in here."

Georgiana nodded, smiling. And so, silence ensued for what seemed like an eternity, until the door burst open. Half expecting to see a feminine figure, Hermione glanced up from the window. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Lucius Malfoy, in his midnight blue robes, who evidently had not noticed her yet.

He casually walked towards the small cabinet in the corner, and took out a bottle of what was clearly fine wine. He uncorked the bottle, slowly, as though to savour the experience of doing so, and stopped.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" He asked the girl who was watching him from the other corner.

Hermione blinked. "I'm… Hermione." She decided not to say her surname, muggle or pureblood, for she was not used to the transition yet.

* * *

It was early morning a few days later in _Up There. _Caroline Mayfair was having breakfast when she heard a knock on the door. She had not been expecting guests, or visitors of any sort, and was a little weary as to who was intruding upon her 'private' breakfast time. She had spent the past couple of days moping around, much to Lily Potter's dismay – Caroline and Lily were extremely good friends, and although their friendship cracked when the former became the perfect pureblood, cold and calculating, they resumed their relations when they met each other once more _Up There. _It had been Lily's idea for Caroline to tell Sirius – explicitly (the former had said that Sirius was extremely dense, and needed things spelled out for him) – of her love for him before he stopped speaking to her altogether. The Lady Malfoy in her lifetime groaned audibly (which would have been extremely inappropriate had she been alive) and dragged herself to the door, her slippers sliding on the wooden floor that led to the front door. She opened the door slowly, with bleary eyes that were focused to the ground, and said a simple "Hello" to the visitor, without looking to recognise the person.

"Hi." A familiar voice responded, almost cheerily.

Caroline's head snapped upwards immediately, astonished at the sight of Sirius Black, her neighbour from the opposite house who had not responded to her proclamation of love to him the other day.

"What are you doing here? At my house… at 8am in the morning?"

"You know, for an intelligent witch, Caro…" He began, as her heart fluttered at the nickname he had not used for so long. "You are quite stupid."

She blinked at him. _How dare he come to my house so early in the morning, just to tell me that he thinks I'm stupid!_

"No! No! Don't take this in the wrong way." He said quickly, almost hastily with big hand gestures. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here."

She nodded, noticing that he still had not answered her first question, but instead had thrown a statement of the same meaning back at her.

"A man comes to a lady's house at 8am in the morning." He paused, wondering how he had become so soppy – he hoped he hadn't ruined everything yet by babbling so much. "He doesn't come for a pot of coffee or tea, or maybe he does, I don't know… but I know, a man does not go to a lady's house if he doesn't have something of importance to say to the lady. So here I am – I've come to tell you something."

She frowned, wrinkle lines marring her perfect face. Sirius never babbled, unless he was nervous.

"Something of significance to you, of course." He winked, and her frown deepened.

"Cut to the chase, Sirius. I'm having my breakfast." She said bluntly. He pretended to not hear her.

"I've been thinking for the last few days…" Sirius paused once more as her heart stopped, wondering if he was about to say the words she wanted to hear so badly. "And I've realised that I still care about you – very much."

She opened her mouth, only to have the man standing at the door, shush her.

"What I came to say is… I love you."

His admission was met with silence. Caroline could not believe her ears, and was standing in a state of astonishment. He had to wave his hand and call her name a few times before she responded.

"Oh, Sirius." She smiled tenderly, gently touching his face for the first time in so many years. "I love you too."

And then, she proceeded to kiss him with a fiery passion, similar to the last kiss they shared before the summer where everything bad seemed to happen.

* * *

Lucius had arrived home early that day, from a long day's work at the Ministry. That day, there were an unusual number of meetings, and he knew that he had to keep up a façade, one that showed that he wasn't bored, yet did not express much enthusiasm. Clearly, this had been difficult, for his eyes expressed weariness and fatigue. The first thing he went to do was to enter Narcissa's beloved parlour, which was also where his emergency stash of alcohol was. He strolled towards the small cabinet and took out a small bottle of fine wine. As he attempted to open it, with the grace of a Malfoy, he stopped, sensing a presence in the room.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" He asked the blonde haired girl watching him from the other corner.

"I'm…" She hesitated, much to his dismay – he wanted to drink the wine quickly, before Narcissa arrived – she wouldn't have been too pleased to catch him holding the bottle. "Hermione."

Any thoughts of the blonde haired girl betraying him to Narcissa instantly disappeared as his jaw opened, and snapped shut. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it once more, as if he had decided not to say it aloud.

Hermione raised her eyebrows slightly at his shock.

* * *

**Well, well, well. H has finally met her biological family! What are your thoughts on their reactions? And how about Caroline Mayfair? Anybody with any ideas as to what will happen / what they want to happen next?**

**Xoxo,**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. Ms. Smiles apologises profusely for not having been able to produce an episode more quickly.**


	25. Just Another Unexciting Summer

**_Chapter Twenty Four: Just Another Unexciting Summer_**

**Gossip Girl here. Immense apologies for this extremely late episode. Hopefully, this replenishes your thirst to know more about how our dear H is currently doing!**

**Without further ado, I present this episode, titled **_**Just Another Unexciting Summer.**_

* * *

To the young girl, his face was vacant and stoic; displaying all that she perceived a member of a prominent pureblood family to be. Blank waves of thought swirled through her mind as she calmly gazed at her birth father, at a loss as to what to do in this situation. After all this wasn't something that happened every day; this wasn't something you could read about; this wasn't scribbled and hidden somewhere in an instruction manual; where one met their real parents after sixteen years of believing something else that was the polar opposite to your very existence.

It seemed like a page had been torn out of a fairy tale. It could have been either muggle or wizard. But this was the story at its turning point; at the moment where everything begins to go wrong and a solution is necessary to swiftly rectify the matter at hand.

Needless to say, Lucius Malfoy was also in immense shock. No coherent thought could formulate in his mind, for:

Unexpected visitors were usually a surprise anyway.

But not at this time of day! Especially when his arrival home was supposed to be unnoticed!

Hermione was not expected to come for another year yet. After all, the twins turned seventeen _next_ year.

And she was sort of intruding on his 'alone' time. This was a time when he was able to savour and enjoy his alcohol without his hawk of a wife (but not to worry – he loved her anyway despite this minute flaw) breathing down his neck, demanding that he cut down on his drinking.

He sighed. Drinking was his way to escape from reality; to relieve himself from the stress of his daily life; and to forget about giving Hermione away.

And finally, it is a point to make that Lucius Malfoy never made lists. Unless something really serious or extremely shocking has happened.

Well, I suppose that this _does_ count for a serious and surprising issue.

He gulped, albeit quite audibly. Like his birth daughter, he had not a clue as to how to proceed forward with the situation. He never envisioned this to be so awkward, but pictured it to be something similar to one of those clichéd moments where a long-lost someone has reunited with their other long-lost someone by running in slow motion towards them – arms open wide – and having one of those emotional moments that one would often observe in a soppy romance novel.

_Now let's pause for just one teeny second_ – Lucius Malfoy doesn't _read _such rubbish. It's preposterous!

Well, I suppose he was once caught taking a peek at one of Narcissa's novels that was neatly placed next to the intricate lamp. _Aniela Hawthorne_ to be precise. The trashiest novels by such a scandalous authoress you can find available in a typical wizarding bookstore.

But I digress.

Lucius breathed slowly, not wanting to create a bad impression (but fearing he did) and spoke two words.

"Hermione, finally."

The girl who had previously been known as a muggleborn was still. She couldn't move. She instinctively knew she couldn't believe everything she was hearing as many questions raged across her mind. _Isn't he supposed to be evil? How can he be my father? How can I even be related to this… man? _Of course, she could do nothing without asking questions.

"Why?" It was blurted out before she could form a coherent and logical thought. "How?"

A natural response tumbled out of the usually cautious man's mouth. "A condensed version would be that it was for your safety. It still is. As for the long story…"

Lucius Malfoy blinked, evidently discomforted by the whole situation as he rapidly but smoothly schooled his features into a nonchalant expression. Just how could all of this be so awkward and strange? Wasn't it supposed to be a walk through a vast field of sunflowers and daisies when they reunited? This was obviously a myth. Or just something he desperately wanted to believe in.

The door burst open.

"Hermione?" The familiar voice of Narcissa called.

Lucius's eyes widened even more than they had when he first saw Hermione in the room. It would have been rather comical had the situation not been so serious – the imposing man jumped from where he had been positioned, evidently scared out of his wits, and hid his deep green bottle of bubbly, forcing it under the plush sofa.

Hermione inwardly smiled. It was soothing to see that at least there was some sort of a normal dynamic in the Malfoy household, something that reminded her of home – well, now it was technically the place that she thought had been her home.

"Lucius Malfoy!" An incensed Narcissa Malfoy fumed, but in a quiet tone. "What on earth have you been doing!"

The blonde haired man at least had the decency to look embarrassed, sheepishly looking anywhere in the room but at his formidable wife, who was clearly a force to be reckoned with. Quickly adopting a suave approach, he smirked –

"Well, I've just been-"

"Don't you dare try to pull one over me!" Her eyes flashed with evident frustration.

Seeming to know when to keep his mouth shut around his wife, Lucius wordlessly made his way to seat himself onto the plush sofa. Hermione stood near the window, shell shocked.

"Oh, dearie. Running those tedious errands took longer than I thought. Are you feeling alright? You look a hint bit peachy…" Narcissa peered at her daughter.

Hermione blinked and gave a small but cautious smile, masking her true feelings of doubt and confusion. "Oh no. I'm quite alright, thank you. Just a little… overwhelmed by everything that's happened today."

Lucius discreetly raised an eyebrow, as though in disbelief. Narcissa smiled, albeit a bit sadly.

* * *

It seemed like it was just another party. It was another reason to socialise, to catch up with people; another time to enjoy what you didn't enjoy in your earthly life; another excuse to get drunk and pass out. These were precisely the reasons why Lily decided to hold another party for the whole neighbourhood.

To give thanks for what you have. To celebrate. To live again.

Sirius sat – slouched – on the sofa, mindlessly dreaming about nothing in particular as he waited for Caroline to get ready.

"Caro, this is _just _a party. Lily's party, to be precise." He sighed loudly. "It's casual, and there's no need to dress up or take _this _long to do a 'quick touch-up'!"

"You just don't make the effort at all, Siri. Do you?" Caroline retorted, her voice muffled by the many walls in between the rooms her and Sirius were in. "If you must remember, this is _my_ first party. I need to make a good impression!"

Sirius rolled his eyes good naturedly, but slightly impatient with time. "I thought you meant 10 minutes, not a whole hour! That's more than I bargained for!"

"Well." A pair of arms snaked around him from behind, totally catching him by surprise – he hadn't heard her footsteps. "You won't have to wait any longer, will you now?"

Sirius rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and drowsily stood up, turning around to see who exactly it was.

Caroline stood there in a casual and simple navy blue dress, a stark contrast to her life on Earth. She glowed with happiness, with a huge smile on her face. She evidently dominated the dress – she _wore _the dress, and the dress didn't wear her.

"What do you think?" She asked, in a low voice.

"I'm just thinking about all the things I could do to you." He said simply, unable to take his eyes off of his girlfriend's beauty – her face, her eyes, her smile. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you, Sirius." Caroline blushed, seeming slightly embarrassed, as though she was on her very first date, which was a far cry from her usual behaviour back on Earth as an elegant and graceful lady of high rank.

* * *

He returned to his room, not acknowledging Blaise or Theo and evidently in the state of something in between distress and being taken aback. Blaise and Theo could only keep quiet. Every now and then, they would quickly glance over to each other with worried looks, as they observed the shocked teenager, and also being alert for out-of-the-ordinary behaviour that he could display.

Nothing happened.

At all.

No fidgeting, no coughing, no clearing of throats. Draco's room seemed to be completely empty; desolate. If one were to pass by the room, it would be difficult to distinguish if there really were people present at all. In fact, they sat in this silence (whether awkward or not, it is difficult to say) for quite a while. About thirty minutes, to be precise. It was probably the longest time that Draco had ever been silent, with the reason being that he was extremely shocked at something.

"All my life, particularly when I was younger, I wished and wished for a sibling and I constantly wondered why I didn't have any at all. I remember asking Mother and Father about why I didn't have one – they used to just look over at each other in this forlorn way and I knew never to ask again… something I never noticed…"

Blaise and Theo knew not to say anything, after all, when there was nothing good to say, it was best to stay silent.

"I think that's why they spoiled me so much… to compensate for not having a daughter." Draco sighed, flopping on his bed almost resignedly; his limbs sprawled across the whole bed.

"Now I know why."

* * *

"Sirius, Caroline!" Lily exclaimed happily as she opened the door. "I'm so glad you both managed to make it!"

Sirius grinned broadly, as at the same time, Caroline seemed to be a little more cautious. "Thank you so much for inviting me."

He squeezed her hand, giving her comfort. She smiled weakly, glancing at the woman at the door who didn't seem to notice this.

"Oh, Caroline." Lily smiled, as Sirius made his way inside and she proceeded to say a few words of comfort to the woman who had been married to Malfoy in her lifetime.

* * *

Hermione slowly made her way up the stairs; her hands following the direction of the polished railings. Lucius and Narcissa had decided to leave her alone, allowing their daughter the space to collect her thoughts, but seemed to forget to tell her where she would be staying.

She winced at her forgetfulness; knowing the vastness of Malfoy Manor, it would take her years to become familiar with it.

She stopped in her tracks. Was she seriously considering to stay here, where everything was so stilted and so awkward? Where everything was so immaculately and meticulously done, and everybody was so graceful and poised? Shaking the thoughts that she had mistakenly stumbled across, she continued up the stairs, and turned a right when she got to the top.

She had never felt this lost in her life. She was used to knowing what was going to happen – being able to predict ahead was something that she preferred. Not knowing the path ahead, her brows began to furrow with worry, as she continued walking forward with a slight determination in her step.

_Becoming all Gryffindor, are you? _A small voice whispered. Hermione smiled slightly.

Narcissa had vaguely described the way to her bedroom. _"It's in the West Wing. Turn right when you arrive at the top. Walk straight along the corridor, and you'll see a door. It's a dark brown door – rosewood, to be precise – with a curved gold handle." _

Little did Hermione know at the time, that _all _the doors along the corridor she was on, were dark brown and rosewood.

But she forgot about colour of the handle.

And thus proceeded to feel even more lost. She began to panic, glancing around furtively in the corridor of light, with the sparkling chandelier and the large windows that was ushering in the light breeze. She continued walking down the corridor that fell under the West Wing – a step at a time – knowing that there was no point in worrying. She had reached halfway in her path down the corridor, noticing that the doors were becoming more spaced out. She took the time to admire the décor –

"I trust that you're enjoying the view?" A deep voice sounded from behind.

She felt her blonde curls make a _swoosh _sound in the cool summer breeze, as she whirled around to meet the person who had disturbed the peacefulness she felt – disturbingly enough, it was just as she was becoming more comfortable with being in Malfoy Manor. A place that had often been described as being cold, desolate and vast – a total contrast to someone with a warm personality like her.

"Typical Gryffindor." The figure, shrouded in the shadows, smirked, clearly well aware of the fact that she was _not _a Gryffindor. "You're lost, aren't you?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at his audacity, unsure of the boy's identity – she knew she had seen him somewhere, but didn't know where. "What makes you think that?"

Her voice, innocent and feminine, sounded even more melodic than Narcissa's, caught him by surprise. Filing away this shock for future reference, he retorted in response. "No one _isn't _lost when they are stuck in a long corridor and _admiring the décor_."

"If I'm lost, then what does that make you?" She responded, slightly haughtily, walking further and deeper into the corridor.

_I'm sounding more pureblood than I thought I would be._ She thought to herself, not sure if she was supposed to be proud or disgusted with herself.

"I was just being around," he said vaguely, with a playful gleam in his eyes.

He had to give her credit for her remark, and knew that this was definitely Draco's sister. He noticed that she had decided to walk off – _typical girl_, he thought – and hurried after her. They arrived at a certain door as they walked together in silence in the never-ending corridor.

It was then when the sun decided to conveniently shine its brightest rays into the room, revealing the identity of this mysterious figure.

"_Zabini_!" Hermione exclaimed in annoyance.

He smirked. "Welcome to your room. So much for being lost, eh?"

Hermione could only grumble at him in response, much to his amusement. He proceeded to turn around, softly whistling to himself as his footsteps reverberated the corridor.

"Thank you, Zabini." She managed out, before turning the knob on the door and entering the room.

Blaise stopped slightly in his tracks and smiled. _Maybe this won't be as bad as Draco thinks. _And then he continued on his way back to the room where Theo and Draco were.

This was just as Hermione gaped in awe at the size of her room. It was beautiful, with plush royal blue furnishings – the exact colour of her school house – a large king-sized bed, a polished dark brown desk, shelves strategically scattered around and a vast wardrobe that at first glance, was triple the size of her former bedroom in the Granger residence.

She found out later that it wasn't triple the size, but more, if you must know.

She smiled to herself, thinking that if this was to be a horrible experience, at least it was going to be comfortable. But she couldn't help but wonder why it was _him_ that took her to her room, and not someone else.

* * *

Lily frowned slightly. Her intuitiveness sensed something; something that had caused the awkwardness in the relationship between the two purebloods on Earth to disappear, which provoked an imbalance in their rocky relationship. Something was evidently off.

"James… what do you think is up with Sirius and Caroline? They seem so… unusually happy together. You don't think they…"

The man with the glasses and messy hair slowly gazed across the room at the laughing couple who were so comfortable around each other, conversing among themselves and others so naturally.

"Had sex?" He joked, with mirth in his eyes. "It is possible, knowing how Sirius is."

Lily slapped his arm. "James! This is a really _serious matter_! We're talking about your friend's happiness!"

"He _is _happy." James responded absent mindedly, fingering his breadstick but observing the relationship dynamic between one Sirius Black and one Caroline Mayfair.

"_James._" A warning tone was evident, and all joking ceased.

"Okay, okay. Fine." James held his hands up in protest. "Maybe they really are together."

* * *

Theo and Draco sat in silence just as Blaise entered the room, whistling softly and breaking the comfortable tranquility.

Theo glared at Blaise, as if knowing what he had just done.

"I should greet Granger, shouldn't I? Being the 'obedient' son I am…"

Not a murmur of agreement or disagreement came from the boys, obviously not knowing how to respond to the question / statement. They couldn't tell if it was one or the other, deciding to sit on the fence on this issue and gave Draco the opportunity to make the decision himself. After all, it was his choice as to where he stood with his newfound sister.

Draco glowered at the friends who were as close to him as brothers; and languidly strolled out the door.

* * *

"Oh, this is just simply wonderful!" Lily gushed. "This is just like old times at Hogwarts!"

Sirius and Caroline glanced sideways and meaningfully at each other. _Was it really? Was all the drama regarding pureblood supremacy and the first war really on a par with the peaceful land they were in at this moment in time? _

_No. _

What had happened, was that Lily had decided to go up to the two who had been born a Black and a Mayfair, and bluntly asked of the relationship status between them, much to James' amusement.

_Typical Lily. _He smiled affectionately, keeping his thoughts to himself. Sirius noticed this, and rolled his eyes at his best friend turning into a puddle of goo.

"Well, maybe not really, but you do get what I mean…" Lily stammered a little sheepishly, and James put his arm around her, kissing her cheek and laughing.

"Oh, Lily."

* * *

A knock sounded at the door. Hermione sat up from the plush bed and instinctively glanced out of the window – it was dark. She had evidently been tired; overwhelmed by all that had occurred during the day. Quickly remembering that there was someone at the door, she clearly uttered a polite "Come in!" to the unexpected guest.

She wondered who it would be.

Zabini again? No. Somehow she understood his character – the way he was – he wouldn't be back again. Mal-Draco? She thought long to herself, not knowing how he would react to her being related to him. Lucius?

Her thoughts came to a halt when the guest entered.

"Hermione, darling?"

_Definitely not Malfoy_, she thought, as she stood up – albeit a little too quickly and feeling a little woozy – and smoothed the invisible creases on her jeans. Chancing a quick gaze at the mirror at her outward appearance, she could only see fatigue and weariness from the expression on her face. This was absolutely not the best time to be seeing people in this state. However, Hermione knew her manners and smiled at the woman she was now to call her mother, someone who had now become relatively familiar to her in this large manor that the Malfoys called a home.

"Oh, honey. You look so tired. You've been sleeping?" The older woman inquired kindly, her sparkling blue eyes dazzling despite the dimness in the room.

Hermione nodded, slightly sleepy.

"How about I run you a bath?" Narcissa asked, smiling. "Dinner is soon, and you will need to be well refreshed to be officially meeting Draco."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. How would he react to seeing her? How would he feel knowing that she was now his sister?

"Oh, don't worry about Draco. He'll come around to the idea." Narcissa smiled reassuringly and comfortingly.

_Unlikely. _Hermione thought to herself. She was a little dubious, but walked off to the wardrobe that she had a peek in just a few hours ago to retrieve some nice clothes, as her mother went into the ensuite bathroom to run her daughter's bath.

When she came out of her wardrobe quite a few minutes later – half an hour to be exact – it was so big that she had gotten lost in it – she found a small creature with large eyes, the size of teacups, peering at her.

"Miss! Miss!" It said excitedly, jumping up and down. "You're back!"

Hermione's first and instinctive reaction? Her eyes were exaggeratedly enlarged, as if about to pop out, and she let out a scream.

* * *

He pensively sat in the bathroom that nobody knew about. Well, the 'nobody' being Blaise and Theo. Granted, this was a rather odd place to be philosophical and to be sitting in, but it was the last place where _anyone _would search for him.

I mean, who would think about searching for someone in a _bathroom_?

He gathered his scattered thoughts together, attempting to be thinking in a more logical and coherent manner. Some things he managed to establish? He knew that he didn't know how to react to all of this. He knew that he didn't know how to feel about this situation. He definitely knew that he didn't know what to do or how to go about the circumstances that he had been thrown into.

"So why does it have to be Granger?" He lamented aloud.

She was someone of a distinctive race – the 'muggleborns' or for a more derogatory term, a 'mudblood' – something that had been instilled in him to despise, or to feel indifferent to, since birth. A natural feeling that rose within all purebloods when they came into contact with one of them. Just how could she be a pureblood then? It wasn't logical at all. But the question was: why on earth had his father and mother put her with a muggle family? Did they not believe in the cause of pureblood supremacy? And most importantly, did they _oppose_ the Dark Lord?

Questions, questions, questions. Everything needed an answer. He had to know _what _in the name of Merlin was going on.

He sighed, knowing that he had just been round and round at one of his many tangents, which when put together with all his other problems and issues wove into a complicated web of his hopes, worries and deceptions. He rubbed his left arm, wincing.

**Readers, I know we all know why this has all happened, but we must sympathise with Draco here. This is a situation where the boy doesn't even know what to do; a situation that does not happen every day and therefore has not been published as a write-up.**

**But oh D, what have you been up to recently?**

* * *

Narcissa jumped awkwardly when she heard the unfamiliar scream. _Hermione._

Completely forgetting to correct her unusual behaviour, she quickly brandished her wand from her sleeve, dashing out of the bathroom where she had been pondering upon whether Hermione would prefer a lavender scented bath salt or one of a rosy fragrance, both of which were sitting on the gleaming white bathroom shelf. As she rushed out into the room, she could only see Hermione and –

"Bubbles! How nice of you to join us!" She said kindly, but she could only display a perplexed expression on her face, seeing nothing wrong with Hermione or her bedroom.

"Um…" Hermione stuttered ungracefully.

And then the older woman realised where her daughter had been for the past sixteen years, and a hearty sound of laughter emitted from her lips. She swiftly composed herself after a few moments –

"This, my dear, is your personal house elf."

Hermione's eyes widened for the second time in a few moments, and seemed embarrassed. The Hogwarts elves were different to the normal house elf. "Oh God. I've read about them before, it's just that… I've never actually been up _close _to one…"

The young girl berated herself for this knowledge she had gained from reading many books flying out the window, but really, she hadn't seen a house elf of this species so close before – these ones seemed to have much bigger eyes!

Narcissa's eyes twinkled with laughter, as she spoke, "Darling, you will be seeing all sorts of rather… _interesting _things from now."

* * *

Soon, it was time for dinner. Hermione stood next to her always impeccably dressed mother. The former was dressed up in a gold summery dress and adorned with a simple necklace and earrings. Narcissa felt Hermione shake slightly – from nervousness – and was aware of the possibility that Hermione probably did not know the extent to which her life would change.

It wasn't just moving homes and being in such a close vicinity to her birth family, it was also the emotional experience of it all and so many other things.

She placed an encouraging hand on her daughter's shoulder. Hermione felt as though Narcissa was telepathically saying to her: _Don't worry. You'll get through this._

She hoped so too.

* * *

Draco stared at himself in the mirror; his face void of any emotion. Blaise and Theo had left earlier, knowing when to leave their best friend alone with his personal space. He was wearing a smart shirt and black trousers, a familiar routine that he had become accustomed to since birth. As for today? Although the dinner was something that was usual to him, it was the _people _whom he was not accustomed to. His father and mother – he had been with them since birth, but he didn't know how they would behave tonight. The elves, and the portrait of Georgiana – what would they do, and how would they react?

So many what ifs, so many different possible outcomes to the dinner and so many ways his life could have been if she had not been sent away.

Yes; and her in particular.

* * *

It was a few weeks later when it seemed appropriate to write something to the place that she had left.

_**Dear**__ – _She stopped, not knowing how to address them. A large ink spot appeared on the parchment where the tip of her quill had been. She sighed, throwing away her third piece of quality parchment, well aware of the fact that she could have just made a draft before starting on the best copy.

_**Mum and Dad, **_

It felt painful not knowing how to address them, as she had referred to them as 'Mum' and 'Dad' all her life.

_**How have you been? I trust you have been well.**_

She groaned to herself as her mind drew to another blank. _What on earth am I supposed to write in this letter without hurting them?_

Another blotch of black ink appeared where the quill tip touched the parchment as an irritated grumble echoed and another piece of parchment was thrown across the room.

* * *

**What's wrong with H? Why such a reaction? What has happened?**

**Tell me what YOU think – we all want to know, as does Ms Smiles, who highly covets your opinions and **

**Xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**


	26. Shopping and All The Other Little Things

_**Chapter Twenty-Five: Shopping and All The Other Little Things**_

**Bonjour to all of you, my Upper Wizarding friends! Gossip Girl here.**

**Time passes by ever so quickly – I was told the other day by a special friend that we all should live like we're dying, but learn as though we are to live forever. Profound, is it not? I know I shall definitely keep this in mind!**

**Yet another Valentine's Day has come and gone… just a curious thought: was anyone at the receiving end of any kind of romantic gesture? I know we all want to know! Chocolates, flowers, walks under the moonlight and picnics on a sunny day – oh, how wonderful and romantic it is for those who are in love!**

**Here's a fluffy quote I found the other day that I wanted to share with all of you: **

_Love is a promise;_

_Love is a souvenir_

_Once given never forgotten,_

_Never let it disappear._

**Isn't it sweet? :) And it's so true!**

**Without any further ado – I should really break out of this 'love spell' I'm under – ____****Shopping and All The Other Little Things**.

* * *

She blearily opened her eyes the next morning, finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings. To her left, was a polished rosewood chest of drawers, of a minimalist design; to her right was a quirky looking hanger that held a fancy hat with a single blue feather and a silky scarf to match; straight ahead was a small fridge, entertainment bar and a flat screen TV that still had the large green '_3D and High Definition_' sticky label firmly stuck to its side speakers. This looked more like a muggle bachelor pad in the movies than a bedroom.

_Where am I? _

She tried to recollect the events of the night before, wondering as to where on earth she was. Had she she out drunk? Heavily stupefied? Slipped a drug or dreamless sleep potion by someone? Just how could she have been unable to retain all that had happened last night? The last thing she remembered doing… was walking down those gold railings in _that _outfit… with Narcis- her mother…

And then everything came flying back at her - she gasped.

_Narcissa had left her alone for a little while to take care of the dinner arrangements. She stepped out of her suite, feeling anxious and lost for the umpteenth time in the past few days, anticipating the events that were about to unravel before her. _

_Many questions and worried thoughts swirled in her mind. Was this like a 'judgment' dinner? If I do badly, will I be kicked out of the manor? If so, where would I go? It's not like I have a proper home anymore anyway… Would Draco be responsive to my presence in his family? What if he doesn't like me? He already doesn't anyway… so why bother worrying about that anyway? What will Lucius and Narcissa be like? Did they expect me to have to refer to them as 'Mother' and 'Father' or 'Mum' and 'Dad' already?_

_I just can't. Not yet, anyway._

_It's much too hard._

_And the most unsettling thought - what if they are just trying to trick me, what if they're trying to spy on Harry and have kidnapped me for ransom? For Voldemort? What if -_

_She couldn't continue that trail of thought without feeling guilty. Indeed, she was well aware of the fact that this was possible, that this could be all part of a grand scheme plotted by Voldemort and his minions to sabotage Harry. But she knew that she couldn't do anything about this unless she actually went through with the dinner and observed. __Simply observing the family dynamic later at dinner would suffice at this moment in time to make a fair judgment on the circumstances that she had been thrust into._

_And if she was __really__ the missing Malfoy daughter, they wouldn't hurt her, right?_

_Hopefully not, anyway. _

_She proceeded to walk – albeit at an extremely slow pace – and mustered her thoughts and her confidence together, in the most coherent form that she could. After all, this was all very overwhelming to take in. She hadn't noticed that she had reached the top of the staircase until she felt the familiar feel of metal, indicative of the railing she was meant to hold on to on the way downstairs. Breathing in and out, she decided that it was better to conquer her fears and troubles that plagued her mind since she had realised that she had to face the Malfoys together, as a family unit, sooner or later._

_Sighing inaudibly, she walked down steadily and gracefully, as if she was a lady of leisure, taking all the time in the world. She wasn't, and she knew that she definitely did not have the time, but she wanted to feel like one. Then suddenly she felt another body collide with her –_

"_Oh mother, please do watch where you are going. You never know where those trick steps might be."_

_She hadn't fallen over, but she had stumbled over slightly, missing two steps and landing perfectly on her two feet that had been slipped into the most beautiful heels one could imagine. She frowned. Firstly, she couldn't think of a time when she had been so poised whilst losing her balance. And second of all, she couldn't __quite__ remember having a child at all… after all, one couldn't be so certain about these things. So then why was this person with the rather masculine voice referring to her as his mother?_

_It was all rather odd._

_Well, other bizarre things had been happening to her recently too that didn't compare to this._

_Deciding to keep quiet and play the stereotypical muggle ditzy blonde (ironically enough, she now was one too!), she glanced around curiously and immediately knew who the voice belonged to. She decided to turn the tables around, and as though she hadn't heard anything - "I'm sorry. It was my fault."_

_She could have sworn that his eyes widened marginally at the sight of her face as he did a double-take, from her to the bottom of the stairs, as though having realised something. The expression on his face read that he was knee-deep in something of a gross nature (fecal matter, perhaps?) that he couldn't identify at that particular moment._

_Silence ensued as the boy and girl stood awkwardly at the middle of the staircase, not knowing what to say or do. She took note that his gobsmacked face had been rapidly schooled into a mask, one of blankness and slight indifference. She didn't know that silence could be quite this loud and decided to tinker at it – after all, her relationship with the Malfoys would take time to build. If she wanted a proper family and if none of the Malfoys were willing to do anything, she knew it would have to be her who did __something__. She knew that someone had to try their hand at conversation; and seeing as Malfoy wasn't about to say anything any time soon, she knew it had to be her who instigated it. Even if this 'family' problem of her being a Malfoy was merely a sham, she tried to see it from an optimistic point of view – if this was real, this was a happily ever after in that she was finally reunited with them. If this wasn't real, she knew she had a variety of options: she could be a double agent for Harry – then at least she was helping his cause._

_And it was then she knew she had to start everything all over again. Despite remembering everything he had done __to__ her; everything he had done __for__ her, she knew she had to be no less than civil to someone she was to call her brother – her twin, from now on. _

"_So um… I'm Hermione. Mia for short." _

_So much for eloquent conversation._

_Earlier, Narcissa had told her what she had intended to call her daughter, and so Hermione had decided to adopt it. After all, there was no harm in attempting to at least feel comfortable in this stilted atmosphere. _

_Both of them were on their guard, and both knew why the other was acting in this way. __He blinked, twice, seemingly at a loss, and seemingly trying to be two steps ahead of her and calculating his move carefully. __But just what was so hard about responding to her introduction?_

_Time passed by as though eternity had lapped two circles at a race course. Just as she was about to turn around, return to a world of tranquility and stroll down the stairs alone –_

"_Draco." He said simply, smiling cautiously. She smiled back, also unsure of what to do._

_Seeming to be one step ahead of the brightest witch in their year – the girl who was standing in front of him – he held out an arm to her,_

"_Shall we?" _

_Going with the flow of the situation, Hermione gently looped her arm around his, and walked down with him. All was fine until –_

"_**DRACO**!" _

_He seemed to snap out of his reverie with eyes as wide as saucers, almost afraid of the echoing voice. "It's mother. We really don't want to be late." _

_She nodded, almost in a trance at listening to his voice and followed his lead. She was shocked, as she didn't think that he would respond as much as he had. Many twists and turns later along numerous corridors, they found themselves in the dining room, a dark area brightly lit by a single chandelier and several candles dotted at the table. Quite a few plates had been laid down, with the indication of them being freshly made: the steam wafting temptingly from each plate. She had half-expected the table to be long and vast, like the house tables at Hogwarts. Somehow she pictured the Malfoys to dine together at a distance and at the ends of the table, barely speaking to each other and eating in silence. _

_She couldn't have been any further off the point, for this evidently was not the case. Her preconceived ideas were at a polar opposite to the way the Malfoys really conducted their meals. _

_She soon found herself seated in between Narcissa and Draco and opposite Lucius at a fairly large square table that was sizable and intimate enough for a small family to hold intimate conversations between themselves. Hermione felt slightly awkward at filling up the fourth and last spot at the table, but then she remembered that she was now a member of the family. __The plates that had been laid down vanished, but the plates with appetisers magically shifted towards each person, and comprised of a light lobster and salmon salad and a small bowl of soup that had a distinctive French name. The main course was a roast meal consisting of the best and juiciest lamb chops with a choice of cranberry sauce or mint jelly, broccoli, parsnips, sprouts and carrots, mushrooms, potatoes galore cooked in different styles – roast potatoes, au gratin, French fries… anything you could think of._

_And dessert? Narcissa told her family that they could wish for what they liked, just like at Hogwarts, and the dish of their choice would appear right in their eyes. Hermione's eyes expanded, clearly not expecting this and wished for her favourite – _

_An extremely chocolatey cake. Chocolate cream, chocolate bits and swirls, chocolate sauce…_

_The same dish also materialised in front of Draco._

_They both laughed awkwardly, which seemed to sound more similar to a "heh heh" sound. Their eyes met each other, and the two siblings immediately looked away – anywhere but at each other. _

_Throughout the meal, Lucius and Narcissa made light conversation with both each other and their children, as Draco and Hermione kept their eyes on their food and ate in silence unless spoken to by their parents. For the latter, she was desperately rummaging her mind for conversation starters, but to no avail. Thinking better of saying something random, she kept silent, after all, it was Emily Granger who taught her that when she had nothing good to say, it was a much better bet to remain quiet. Hermione knew it was probably just her who was feeling out of place at the table, for she felt that the dining setting was just a tad too uncomfortable._

"_So. I trust the meal is to your liking? I hope this… setting, is not too discomforting for you – as you may have probably noticed, Mother just __doesn't__ stop jabbering away… it's actually a very normal thing." Draco rolled his eyes at the latter part of his conversation starter and seemed to be testing out the waters – of the awkward and in-limbo relationship between him and Hermione – and watching out for her reaction._

_Her eyes seemed to indicate of the relief that she felt, that he began the conversation and she hadn't. Somehow it would have been quite odd if she had been the one to do so. "Oh yes, of course. It's lovely." Her mouth quirked upwards, and she laughed slightly at the roll of his eyes._

_To her, that seemed to be quite the diplomatic answer, not offending anyone and complimenting the meal at the same time._

"_The elves really did outdo themselves tonight." He commented pleasantly, his eyes a little out of focus as he began to lose himself in his thoughts. _

_And then silence loomed upon them once more._

She blinked, as the length of the memory faded slightly, still lingering in her mind, overwhelming her. She lay sprawled once more on the plush bed, thinking of all that had happened in the past few days. From the thought that she was a muggleborn, from a family of no particular name, leading a simple life and being only focused on achieving outstanding results at Hogwarts – she was now a pureblood, a member of a prominent family, about to lead a life of many complexities. She was not only supposed to be focused on school, but her social life also, as seen in the publications of the media. The tangled web she thought was complicated as a result of being at Hogwarts had just become all the more bigger; and intricately woven with each other.

_It was the end of dinner. Narcissa exclaimed that she was "absolutely exhausted" and wished to retire to her rooms. Lucius stood up and held an arm to his wife, who disregarded it, and made her way to the door. He bid his children a good night by kissing each of their foreheads, and escorted the woman who had been born into the family of Black, upstairs._

_This left Draco and Hermione together, in a relatively comfortable but cautious quietude. The elves had begun to appear just as the plates disappeared away for cleaning. They wiped the table in the muggle way and each waved a spell on the table to ensure that it was spotless and shining. _

"_Well." Draco said awkwardly, as he stood up and pushed his chair into the table. He made his way to Hermione, and held an arm out again._

_She felt a sense of déjà-vu, but disregarded it, knowing that it had already happened once, and would probably occur more often in the coming days. _

"_Shall we?"_

"_Of course." She smiled and gracefully got up from her chair._

_To an outsider, it would seem that they were a couple, arms interlinked with each other, but as we all know, they weren't, as this is such an incestuous thought to behold! They strolled up the stairs, enjoying the silence of the night._

_It wasn't long until he had escorted her to her rooms. With slight discomfort, he cleared his throat –_

"_Good night, Mia." _

"_Good night Draco."_

_She put her hand on the doorknob and entered the room. She didn't look back at the boy who was now her brother._

"Mia dear?" The posh accent of Narcissa Malfoy sounded from outside. "Are you awake yet?"

Hermione sighed quietly, wondering what on earth made it so that her life would change so drastically. It was here when she began to appreciate the simplicities of her old life, despite nothing having occurred yet in her new one.

And – just how could she tell all of this to her friends? This was just one of the issues that had risen as a priority in her mind, just one of the many 'to-dos' on her list.

"Oh yes, I am." Hermione called quite clearly, after quite a long moment of pensiveness. She feared that Narcissa had already left.

Luckily she hadn't and burst through the door.

"Darling! You look very much refreshed!" The woman smiled, evidently elated about something.

Hermione glanced at her a little cautiously, wondering what she was in for that day. "Indeed." She smiled back.

Perhaps this wasn't going to be too bad at all.

"How about a spot of shopping today." Narcissa blurted out – albeit quite smoothly – and beaming brightly. It came out as a statement, but the mother-of-two disregarded this.

Hermione blinked, obviously not having expected this. She had expected something more… of importance, something bigger and more serious. Wanting to please Narcissa, she nodded in agreement.

"Right then." Narcissa trailed off. "Oh, this is so exciting! You will definitely need a new wardrobe. You absolutely _cannot _just have what you have now – of course, they are fashionable, but it's just _not enough_. Some nice trousers, as well as casual ones… and skirts! Oh, I know just the place! Blouses too! Oh, you will definitely need some pretty blouses. It's a definite must-have! And dresses – you know, for the garden parties and balls and small gatherings… some posh hats and sun hats… I believe the Hat Emporium has some really interesting looking ones… "

She continued to list what Hermione needed, almost in a monologue as Hermione nodded along, completely bemused. Narcissa was still murmuring to herself about what other additional items Hermione supposedly needed, as the latter decided to get dressed and have some breakfast.

* * *

The morning went by fairly quickly.

Hermione had never been to the _Hat Emporium _previously and was absolutely amazed at the range of hats that were available.

Narcissa had been just like a little girl who was bouncing off the walls of a candy store – shopping, was definitely one of her prominent fortes. The shop assistants were clearly very obliging to their loyal client, who evidently owned quite a few of the hats that had been available at the store in the recent fashion seasons. Hermione was looking extremely bemused as she stood in front of a full-length talking mirror, who commented on the different hats that were handed to her. The pile of hats grew from only the two that had been stacked on top of each other, to about thirty. They ranged from feathery hats – Narcissa particularly liked the green feathered chapeau, then there was what the older Malfoy deemed to be _the_ 'normal hat' – Hermione's favourite one being the curved black one with stripes lined with silver, to the French hats – the navy was rather pretty… then there was the 'ultra feminine hat' – a deep maroon colour but it had a rather odd shape – with straight lines here and swirls there, but Hermione understood where the idea of it being unique came from.

A "mere" **twenty-three** hats, as Narcissa put it, out of thirty were bought.

Not very many, eh?

Then they entered _Snazzy Shoes_, and only goodness knows how many pairs of shoes were strewn all over the shop floor! There were just too many to count! The store distinctly reminded Hermione of _Ollivander's_, with the shoes of all the colours in the rainbow flying everywhere, as though they were totally out of control. Which probably wasn't the case. The store assistant – and the boss herself, were very kind and complimentary towards the elder Malfoy and the daughter. They were evidently well aware of their status as a prominent family in wizarding society despite _that _incident in the Department of Mysteries that nobody knew about, yet knew vaguely about it. Everything regarding that _incident _was rather murky in terms of 'public knowledge'.

Again, there was a wide variety of shoes to choose from, with sandals, trainers, flip-flops, ballet flats, high heels in boots and peep-toes, boots, and even witch-like shoes to suit certain robes that had been flying off the shelves in the spring season that had just passed. Hermione enjoyed herself more here, for she adored shoes – any one pair with a pretty design would do for her. The Ravenclaw girls had always gone to Hermione for 'shoe advice', for her taste in shoes had always been impeccable. Perhaps it came from the excellent genes of Narcissa Malfoy! Hermione felt that shoes always completed an imperfect outfit.

They spent slightly more time here, with shoes in colours varying from a purple pizzazz (odd name, but cool!), to sunshine yellow, to calm turquoise, fiery red and delicate peach.

"You know, Mia…" Narcissa began as she sifted through the pile of shoes that the assistants had so kindly brought out.

"Hmm?" Hermione hummed in response, rummaging through another mountain of shoes available for their perusal.

"Darling, this has been on my mind for so long. You have to know what I've wanted to say to you for so long. I've…" Something was stopping her from saying exactly what she wanted to say. "Missed you so, so much."

Hermione blinked, confused. What had brought this along? Everything had been going perfectly fine. Had it been something she said?

Hopefully it hadn't been because of that.

"You don't know how much. You probably just think that your father and I abandoned you as a little baby because we favoured Draco or for whatever reason, but we didn't. You _have _to know that." Narcissa implored.

It was then when Hermione realised where her mother was going with the conversation. She knew she had to say something in comfort to the woman that was her mother, but did not know what. And she knew she had to keep into account of the fact that she was treading on thin ice – whatever she said would make or break the relationship between her mother and herself.

"Oh, mum." Hermione smiled slightly and sadly. "I understand what you mean. All of this - it was for my protection – I know that I can't resent that you had my best interests at heart."

"But why are you so… aloof to us? It's as though you don't want to be here with us at all." Narcissa pressed, genuinely worried about her daughter.

It was here when Hermione believed that the Malfoys were not after her to stay in the Dark Lord's good graces. It was the kind of instinctive feeling that one had almost instantly after something occurs. What I mean by this is, this conversation.

She knew she could trust them.

"Oh, but I do want to be with you, and- Daddy and Draco. It's just that… it's all been so overwhelming for me. I mean, think about this from my perspective."

She paused to take a breath.

"I spent sixteen years, thinking I was a part of a pure muggle family. At the age of eleven, when I got accepted at Hogwarts, I had to fight my way through the complications of pureblooded supremacy, that I was just as good as all of those who had known about magic before me and had so many more advantages compared to me.

Although I wasn't taunted as much as the muggleborn students in Gryffindor, I sympathised with them immensely. So I knew I had to work extremely hard.

Then everything is so abrupt. In my sixteenth year, after all my trials and tribulations, the successes and excellent achievements at Hogwarts, I suddenly find out that I'm actually descended from a pureblood family.

I don't know… I think perhaps as a result of this, maybe people will come to the realisation that just maybe, my skill is not from my own hard work, but is a part of my heritage?"

At this, Narcissa wrinkled a nose and shook her head to disagree, but put a hand on her daughter's shoulder as she continued with what she had say, in order to unburden her heart after the abrupt change in her life.

"I'm just trying to take this all in as calmly as possible. Forgive me for being aloof… I wasn't trying to come out like that, but if I did, I'm sorry."

A small tear fell from her cheek.

Narcissa's eyes softened as she put down what she had been holding to hug her daughter. "Oh darling, you needn't feel like that. I suppose with my not knowing you all _that _well, I feel like I'm such a bad mother for being so insecure, for giving you away to Alan and Emily – but they did a great job in raising you."

They remained locked in a hug for quite a few more moments, until Hermione whispered that they were still in a store, in public. Although they weren't being watched (for they were in their own private shoe room – the Malfoys are literally rolling in Galleons!), both of them were well aware of the time, and how after this conversation, as they both understood each other now, they would need some time to mull over what had been said and move forward.

The shoes – quite a few of them – were hastily handed over to the assistants and the 'ping' sound of the cashier indicated that a purchase had been made. As they left the store, Hermione began to calculate how many shoes had been bought.

There had been at least fifty.

_Oh Merlin._

And Narcissa couldn't help but squeal about how Hermione would look good in _all _of them. Which of course, Hermione was well aware of.

Next came the several clothing stores with excellent items available, superb service and were simply fashion wonderlands. One could just come to visit one store for an entire day and not feel bored at all.

_Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions_, _Chic Costumes_, _An Air for Flair,_ _Twillfitt and Tatting's…_

Hermione had never been so in awe of the wizarding world until now, apart from the fabulous time she had a few summers ago with her parents at _Le Belle Boulevard_. The array of garments to choose from… there was simply too much!

_Just a few summers ago, things were not all that different to the shopping spree with Narcissa, except they had actually bumped into Mrs. Malfoy..._

_Mrs. Granger rushed to her daughter, shooing away the young but condescending store assistant. "Darling, you look absolutely stunning! Red does suit you best. Haven't I told you that countless number of times?"_

_Her daughter could only smile slightly - this was beginning to feel quite embarrassing._

"_Draco, darling, what do you think of this?" Narcissa strode into the room, with one of the shop assistants trailing after her._

_Hermione did not remember too much about what happened immediately after the woman's arrival into the room, but only what she felt: she felt compelled towards this woman, to gaze at this beautiful lady, so angelic-like with her delicate blue eyes and long blonde hair._

_The young girl had completely tuned out her surroundings –_

"_Ah yes. Hermione!" Mrs. Granger called._

_The young Hogwarts students perked up at the sound of Hermione's name._

"_You must be Hermione! It's a delight to finally meet you!"_

"_Hello Mrs. Malfoy. It is a pleasure to meet you." Hermione greeted, smiling demurely._

_There was a slight pause._

"_Well don't you look beautiful in those robes, my dear! Red does indeed suit you." Narcissa launched into her small talk with the young Ravenclaw._

"_Well, you know my son. You both go to Hogwarts and you're in the same year!" Narcissa beckoned Draco towards where the adults and Hermione were standing._

"_Hullo Granger."_

_Hermione glanced up from her stare that was drilling a large hole into the ground._

"_Hello Malfoy."_

_The conversation between Emily, Alan and Narcissa continued, as Hermione and Draco stared everywhere else but at each other._

That had been her previous 'experience' in a clothing store – its dressing room, no less, with her real mother.

She banished her thoughts from her mind and decided to lose herself in the moment – what better than to just enjoy some bonding time with her birth mother?

Afterwards, they went to explore the headbands, hair clips and hair scrunchies; socks, gloves, jackets, jumpers and cardigans, and muggle clothing.

Just who knew that shopping was _this _fun?

* * *

_Later that day…_

"Hey Mia." Draco said, in a slightly discomforted voice. It was rather odd for him to have a sibling – a sister to be precise – after sixteen long years.

And just why did this feel so awkward?

It would take some time to get used to. He turned around and began to pour himself some water.

Hermione had drifted into a 'sleep mode' since returning from the shopping trip, and slowly glanced up, feeling like she had too much to drink, but she hadn't.

"Hi Dra-" She couldn't finish her sentence as the world around her had completely turned into darkness. It could have been fatigue, perhaps. Stress? Being overwhelmed by what being a Malfoy meant in the wizarding world?

As this happened, she could feel her head falling backwards, expecting the hard marble surface to collide with her head… to no avail. She lost all sense of feeling as her senses switched off.

* * *

Wondering why she still hadn't finished her sentence, he whirled around, expecting to see a girl his age standing up, looking slightly confused and lost…

But didn't.

Instead, he could only see someone falling backwards. His instincts screamed at him to run and catch her before she hit the ground –

He put his glass to the side and ran towards her, arms flailing about and held out in a jumble. He managed to slide across the marble floor as though he was on ice, but on his knees, just about reaching out to her head. Her whole body followed suit in the direction of her head and collapsed in his arms. He gasped, relieved, but worried at the same time.

Then he wondered aimlessly as to what to do after admiring his uneasily accomplished feat. Sitting on the ground, he realised that this situation hadn't really happened to him before – it was more about girls swooning about him and at his feet, admiring his luck in inheriting such good looks from his parents combined. He hadn't had such an experience before. A girl – his sister, to be precise – falling… at his feet… but not because of his looks.

"_**DRACO!**_" A shrilly voice exclaimed, as the sound reverberated in the room – Draco winced. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Oh man, _what have you done_?" A horrified voice belonging to Theo Nott gasped. "The poor girl! I really _sympathise_ with her!"

Blaise chuckled, having not noticed as to _who _the girl in Draco's arms was. "I gather we _all know _now why Draco couldn't come out yesterday: he was busy _doing_ some _pretty_ _exciting things_ last night."

Theo laughed awkwardly, just as Pansy looked as though she felt out of place in a room full of teenage boys.

Draco looked immensely uncomfortable, wondering how this situation had come to be like this. "Hey guys, what a surprise! And don't be such pansies. Um. No pun intended, Pans." He looked at Pansy carefully.

Then he continued, as if nothing had happened when Pansy looked as though nothing would faze her apart from if a giant troll of some sort would barge into the room. "And since when did you come back?"

Draco stopped, peering at her from his position on the ground. "Anyway. Yeah. Um…"

So much for Malfoy eloquence.

"Who is she anyway?" Pansy asked rather curiously, her crush on the blonde haired boy having seemingly dissipated over the summer.

"Um… _well_…" Draco began, just as Blaise started to look closer at the pretty blonde haired girl in Draco's arms.

"_Eugh_!" Blaise could only say, as he came to the realisation as to who this girl was, just as Theo gasped.

"Ewww!" A collective exclamation emitted from both of their lips.

Pansy frowned – the girl in Draco's arms was pretty… so just what was the problem? It's not like Draco would have _not _gone with her to _you-knowcamp_...

"We all knew you both were quite effeminate, but we didn't know the extent of it!" Draco said in mock surprise, glancing at them pointedly and well aware of the conclusion they both came to.

"Forgive us for the… rather _crude _thoughts that were expressed just now." Theo said, nodding vigourously. "I really didn't mean it!"

"And the insinuations about the inappropriate things, and for thinking in all the wrong places. I promise to haul my head out of the gutter." Blaise added, his eyes wide. "Perhaps I should begin with washing my mouth with detergent?"

Pansy simply had a look of confusion on her features. Okay. So hypothetically speaking, if Draco had not been 'with' her last night, what was the reason for it?

Unless… no, it couldn't be!

The story that she had been constantly told about when she was younger, of a happily ever after with the Chosen One defeating evil, with the twins… but it all fitted… and…

Draco could only nod when he saw the expressions flash by on Pansy's face.

"So it's true…" She whispered. "Does she go to Hogwarts?"

Blaise snorted as Theo deftly hid a smirk.

"So she does." Pansy declared, pretending to not hear the snort or see the smirk. "Must be someone you three dislike immensely."

It was déjà vu with the sounds and expressions.

Draco rolled his eyes – "Guys, must you be so pathetic?"

Blaise snorted. "Like _you _aren't pathetic either."

"Yeah, if I'm pathetic, then what are you?" Theo's eyebrows were so far up that it had completely disappeared into his floppy hair.

"I'm awesome because I'm me." Draco said simply, smirking at his comeback.

The other three Slytherins rolled their eyes at the self-flattering statement.

"It doesn't do you any good, you know." Pansy smirked knowingly, still occupied with peering at the girl in Draco's arms, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open.

* * *

Everything was swamped in darkness. She was starting to be able to hear her surroundings and identify those who were present in the room. However, she didn't recognise the voices.

"Must be someone you three dislike immensely."

She knew the voice from somewhere, but couldn't place her finger on who it was. She could tell that the voice belonged to a girl, but she didn't know who…

A snort.

"Guys, must you be so pathetic?"

This voice was vaguely more familiar, but again, she couldn't tell who it was. Oh, how frustrating this was!

A snort again. "Like _you _aren't pathetic too."

"Yeah, if I'm pathetic, then what are you?"

It was only a moment later when she heard the smirk in the answer. "I'm awesome because I'm me."

"It doesn't do you any good, you know."

Her eyes began to flutter open, as she involuntarily hummed aloud almost in audibly. She sat up quickly and received some loud protests and arms being thrust forward to lay her down on Draco's lap or to help her stand up. She couldn't tell whose arm was whose, but felt immensely irritated.

"Excuse me. But I most certainly _do not _need to be babied. I'm old enough." She said politely but in a snarky tone, still trying to shake off the dizziness she felt. She regretted it as soon as it came out of her lips, but disregarded it, pretending nothing had happened.

"Typical." A masculine voice muttered, fairly audibly. "_What_?"

She assumed that he had been given a snarky look by someone.

"Um… Mia… you just fainted." Draco started, just as Pansy's eyes were wide –

"_**GRANGER!**_"

Hermione blinked and the world around her was coherent again.

"Parkinson." She said cordially, not entirely sure why the girl was there in the kitchen.

She began to attempt to stand up, only to stumble slightly – four pairs of arms extended forward almost instantly, as though they were anticipating her fall to the ground once more.

But this didn't happen.

Then silence ensued.

"So… what is it like being a carbon copy of Malfoy?" Pansy asked, with a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Pansy!" Theo's eyes gaped with shock as he responded sharply. "How absolutely insensitive of you!"

The girl in Slytherin could only look at him flippantly; as Hermione smiled, shaking her head. Draco laughed as Blaise began to chortle.

"Luc-Daa-d-" She stopped, as Draco glanced at her worriedly – she still wasn't really able to call her real parents by 'Mum' or 'Mother', or 'Daddy' or 'Father'. "says that I look very much like Mum. And Draco mistook me for her the other day! I wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or an offensive comment!"

The three Slytherins – excluding Draco – laughed heartily. Her twin could only grumble in response.

"_Well_, I-I" He stuttered, evidently speechless.

"I'd take it as an insult." Blaise joked, winking at Hermione. Theo nodded.

Perhaps they weren't the typical purebloods that the stereotypes presented them as. Maybe she could really survive in this world without much hassle.

Hermione grinned. This new adjustment in her life would be easier than she thought it would be.

* * *

_**Dear Hermione,**_

_**It's so wonderful to hear from you, and that you are enjoying your time with the Malfoys. They are a nice lot, immensely private with their personal lives. Perhaps you should keep an open mind that they are not evil people, but are just simply misinterpreted and misunderstood by many people. **_

_**Alan was at the clinic today, and found a black tooth in Denny's mouth! Remember him? He was the guy who you always seemed to fancy but didn't really… he enquires about you sometimes, you know. I think he would definitely remember to floss his teeth if you were here! **_

_**Dear, remember to practice your piano and flute, and when stressed, take a walk in their beautiful garden! It's really worth losing yourself in it and spending many hours there. **_

_**We send all our love to you and the family.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Emily.**_

_**P.S. Would you like us to send you anything you might fancy from the sweetie shops? I know it's not entirely what Em would advocate you doing (think of the cavities! I can bet she would say!), but I was thinking about sending a package comprising of a few bars of Cadbury chocolate bars: your favourite milk chocolate and the fruit and nut bar. Perhaps some Haribo gummy bears, some Flake and Galaxy chocolate bars too? **_

_**But in order for me to send you this package, you must promise to remember to floss daily. And don't tell Emily! You must also remember that you are always welcome to come back, whether it is to sleep over or just to visit!**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Alan**_

* * *

**Xoxo,**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. Since you are currently reading this message, I think it's time for you to ****REVIEW**** the hard work that has gone into writing this chapter, as well as the rest of the story! **** What was your favourite part of this episode?**


	27. A Hint Of Summer Love

_**Chapter Twenty Six: A Hint of Summer Love**_

**To all my dear friends watching this episode today,**

**Okay, so this is probably the umpteenth time that Ms Smiles has had to apologise to you all for not updating any sooner. She has been extremely occupied with work experience, exams, revision and going on holiday with her family, as well as having to fix her computer which conveniently crashed just the other dayt. Hopefully you all will forgive her – please do! – and enjoy this next chapter!**

**I shall not delay you from finding out what happens to our favourite characters in this next episode now!**

* * *

It was a month into the summer holidays and Hermione had settled into the Malfoy household fairly rapidly, considering that she had _previously thought that she had been a muggleborn_. This position meant that she had been discriminated against by the likes of Draco, Blaise, Theo and Pansy, who were purebloods from birth. She realised that really, they were not all that different from other people at Hogwarts in terms of personalities, comparing to those such as Harry and Ron, who were Gryffindors, or even Josh and Michael, who were Ravenclaws. Frankly, the only difference was their respective alliances – either it was to the Light, or to the Dark. And whether it was a pretense or not.

It was a nice and sunny day when Hermione found herself squashed in the small broom closet just off the first floor staircase of the North Wing, with a silencing charm and non-detection charm placed upon her, just in case _he _decided to check for spies, or if someone found her and she screamed involuntarily. All precautions had been taken.

Shivering, she feared for her life, and the lives of her family and newfound friends who had to stand before that _evil creature_ and follow his every whim and order_. _

Lord Voldemort had impulsively decided to make Malfoy Manor his temporary headquarters, where he would be able to summon his loyal followers of Death Eaters and also be able to kill/maim/torture his victims and enemies, much to Narcissa's horror. Just until Bellatrix's home – Lestrange Manor – had finished being refurbished after _that incident _with the fire caused by the muggles. Of course, they weren't able to see through the disguise of the derelict land where Lestrange Manor was situated, but the muggle vandals decided to conveniently burn down much of the ancient structure.

But how long would that be?

Evidently, the circumstances in which the Malfoys found themselves trapped into were not ideal in any way. Narcissa was immensely keen on spending an _excessive _amount of time with Hermione, the daughter she had been separated from for so long. Although the latter did not mind particularly, for she enjoyed her birth mother's company, it was bordering on _too much_. Draco found it extremely amusing and Lucius had told his wife to 'stop smothering the poor girl' – his own words – and to give her some space. In addition, like the typical mother, she was anxious for the safety of her family, and whether they would still remain intact after this horrible war came to an end. This behaviour exhibited by the usually aloof woman was perfectly understandable – what good mother wouldn't worry for her family? It was also understandable that she wanted to spend so much time with Hermione, seeing as she had been deprived of the opportunity to spend the optimum amount of time with her, with the second rise of the Dark Lord and his cruel order to kill her. With Lucius, it was the same worry for the family's safety, especially with Hermione still alive even with the Dark Lord having ordered for her to be killed and her status as one of Harry Potter's good friends. As for Draco, there was a massive possibility – thus both parents worried so much – that he would fail his mission, and with the Dark Lord's omniscient power, he would somehow find out about Hermione and kill her too.

_A click._

Hermione's eyes snapped towards the beam of light that was slowly drifting into the room. She was on guard, waiting and hoping to see a familiar face. And not anybody else.

Relief flooded her whole being when she saw that it was only Draco who stood at the door. She glanced at him expectantly, patiently waiting to be let out of the room.

"It's not safe here." He said in an abnormally low voice.

She could only roll her eyes in exasperation. _As if I don't know that already._

"_No_, Mia. _I mean it_." He said firmly. "You're going to have to move into the South Wing, well away from here, where all the meetings are to be held – and if all goes well, you'll stay there. If not… you'll probably move to one of the little cottages that Father has scattered across Europe before we go back to Hogwarts. Or the Grangers. I don't know."

Her eyes widened in shock at the immense detail that they had already thought up of. Clearly, something was off. Something had been deliberately kept away from her.

"Does he…"

"Know? Not yet, he doesn't. I think Aunt Bella does though." He answered grimly, his head dipped low. "She'll probably end up spouting it to him one day when we make some mistake…"

Her whole world instantly came crashing down, smashing into millions of pieces. "But… how?"

"You know... Fifth Year, Department of Mysteries. That's all Father would say."

"Huh. So I wasn't going mad then either. Or maybe I was, you know, just 'cos Bellatrix herself is mad." Hermione mused, her voice drifting far away.

"_What? _ You know about it too?" He asked incredulously. How could _she _know, and how could he not know?

She nodded slowly, and it was a total revelation for her, the pieces suddenly having connected together. "_I was there. _Merlin, my own _aunt _tried to kill me."

The twins could only gaze at each other, one fearing for the life of the other, who had her views confirmed that the world was no longer a good place anymore.

* * *

Stomping around the room of the temporary home that was one of the cottages that the Lestranges owned just outside of Bristol in England, she frowned and glared at her husband at the same time.

"What is it now, Bella?" Rodolphus asked warily, evidently prepared for a sudden attack from his psychotic wife.

"She's alive. _I know it_. Lucius and Cissy did not kill her as requested by Him."

Rodolphus rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "And what makes you think that Lucius and Cissy aren't loyal to our cause?"

Bellatrix shrieked in frustration. "I know it. She's _alive_. You don't think I've been thinking about my _only _niece for the past sixteen years? I feel _traitorous _at the mere thought of thinking about her - but she still continues breathing - I can swear on your life that she is alive."

"Well they've obviously hidden her very well, haven't they?" Rodolphus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at his wife's dramatics and not believing for a moment that Lucius and Narcissa had committed an act of deception to the Dark Lord.

Bellatrix made a gesture to indicate the obvious, with a sharp look in her eyes directed towards her dense husband. "_Just how could they have hidden her so well_?"

Rodolphus could not help but roll his eyes once more. "I don't know. With the Malfoy or Black squibs?"

He sighed once more. "Look Bella, if Lucius and Cissa said that they killed her, then they killed her. That's final. He believes them, so don't question it."

Bellatrix glared at her husband, angry that he did not believe her. It hurt to hear his blatant rejection of what she _knew _she had seen on that fateful night at the Department of Mysteries. That glimpse of Mia in battle – the girl she had tried desperately to kill – and the beautiful face that looked exactly like her youngest sister's made it all the more painful to bear.

* * *

"Stay safe, darling. You know that this is for your protection, right?" Lucius glanced at his daughter worriedly, who seemed to look perfectly normal.

Suddenly, a burst of emotion flooded him, knowing that he was to be parted from his daughter once more because of the _evil creature _known as Lord Voldemort, and he reached forward to wrap her in his arms - tightly.

"I will come visit whenever I can." Narcissa reassured the sad looking girl that looked almost like her carbon copy. "Remember we love you."

Draco stood there in silence. He did not move a single muscle, and wondered what it would have been like had Voldemort not existed. Would he have been able to play 'happy family' like the Weasleys, but with a greater fortune? Would his parents have been happier?

He knew the answer to be 'yes'.

* * *

Hermione found herself bouncing on the soft but familiar carpet of her former home – like a bouncy castle, really – and very much aware of what she had to do. Out of the three Malfoys who had just become her family, only Narcissa had an inkling of what she was to do here. The version of the story that had been told to Lucius and Draco was that she was to be kept there until September 1st, the day they were to return to Hogwarts.

But no, Hermione knew she could not stay there as a sitting target – a sitting duck, really – waiting to be killed. And she knew that Alan and Emily could not remain in their home any longer. Their connection to her – Hermione _Granger _– was much too dangerous. Their additional connection to the Malfoys, in particular, to Narcissa, was also risky. They would be unable to protect themselves under Voldemort's skilled Legilimency.

"Hermione!" Emily exclaimed excitedly, wrapping her arms around her adoptive daughter happily. Alan had appeared behind his wife, also ecstatic to see her. It seemed such a long time ago when Hermione had just arrived back from Hogwarts for the summer holidays. Oh, how everything had changed so drastically.

She smiled, also happy to see them. She also knew that it could be the last time she ever saw them, with the impending war and whatnot.

"You know I love you both right?" She began.

At these words, her adoptive parents knew something was up. They knew her too well. They exchanged small frowns and glanced back at Hermione, waiting to hear another 'brilliant' idea. It probably was going to be one, but they didn't know if it was realistic enough, because they didn't quite understand the logistics and all the little details behind these plans and ideas.

"War in the Wizarding World is inevitable. Your connection to me as Hermione Granger, and to the Malfoys, makes you both top targets on Lord Voldemort's list of people to kill." She paused and sighed. "You both mean _so _much to me and-"

"Hermione… are you sure that this is the best idea? Have you thought this through? What have they said?" Alan asked cautiously. Hermione was surprised at his openness to the idea of living in hiding. She had thought that she needed to utilise much of her convincing and persuasion skills to sway their opinions.

However, both Grangers were well aware of the situation they were in, having been forewarned by Narcissa Malfoy so many years ago. They knew what they had entered into, and were prepared to face it.

"Yes. And far, far away will be best. Your air tickets have been bought - you'll be going to Australia."

"Ooh, Australia!" Emily Granger clapped excitedly. "I've always wanted to go there."

Hermione smiled wistfully, her eyes becoming watery. "Now you can. But we must be swift – He can strike at any time now.

I love you both. And I'll see you soon, okay?"

They shared a family hug and she took one deep breath, steadying herself and trying her hardest to prevent tears from trickling down her cheeks.

"_Obliviate!_"

"I'm sorry." She said tearfully, apparating away. *over that summer, although it isn't legal for 16 year olds to apparate, Draco and Hermione were learning how to Apparate anyway.

The couple was looking immensely confused, neither noticing the girl who had just been having a normal conversation with them just moments ago.

"Oh Wendell, I have this awful headache. Now, what on earth were we doing?"

Wendell Wilkins, as he was now known as, sported the same puzzled expression as his wife. But then suddenly, a light bulb popped in his head. "Monica, I believe we are going to Australia!"

They smiled at each other, having no clue of the dangers that they had just escaped from. Noticing their packed bags sitting near the door, they quickly got into their car and left towards the airport.

Just seconds later, their home in Guildford, Surrey was completely ransacked and destroyed by the followers of Lord Voldemort. They had found nothing of particular use for their master.

On the exterior of the house, nothing seemed to have occurred. But inside, the only trace of Hermione having lived there was a portrait of her with Alan and Emily that had hung by the staircase. Now, it was only hanging onto the wall loosely, and it wouldn't be until the next day that it would smash on top of the black rubble.

* * *

Hermione found herself being unable to Apparate out of the Malfoy holiday home she had been told to go to by her mother – in Nice. Wards had been put up so as to prevent her escaping from the house by Floo or Apparition in the event that she became frustrated or bored. Rolling her eyes, she decided to go into town and explore the place she was to live in as a muggle.

Her competence in French came in quite handy, for she found herself being able to blend in well – camouflage, even – with the locals. It was then when she was standing looking into the glass display of the jewellery store that Nice was famous for its beaches. Lightly slapping herself on the forehead for this lapse in memory, she rushed back into the house to rummage into the many closets for a summer dress and a bikini.

With nothing to do, she thought, why not take advantage of the lovely weather and get a lovely bronze sun tan?

When she went out onto the driveway, she noticed the sea and the wailing seagulls on the right. She shook her head in amusement, well aware of the riches that she was able to tap into, being a Malfoy and all. She was to expect the best.

Arriving at the beach, she laid out her towel on the beach recliner, which was conveniently next to an umbrella, which she could open whenever she wanted to. Taking out her book and her iPod, she leant back on the chair, feeling the bright rays of the sun even through her sunglasses and relaxed herself in the wonderful summer breeze.

_Muggles really have a wonderful life_.

She opened her book slowly and relaxed, forgetting about the turbulent life she had sort of left behind in England until sometime at the end of the month.

A good half hour had passed, and Hermione was enjoying her relaxing 'me' time.

"Excuse me, mademoiselle?" A clear voice asked in French.

Hermione squinted at the disruption from under her straw hat in annoyance. Pursing her lips, she asked,

"Oui?"

"Can I sit with you? I'm feeling all lonely by myself in the corner over there." He responded, clearly encouraged by her answer.

She was half-tempted to tell him to 'shove off' because he had interrupted her trail of thought. But remembering her manners, she nodded slightly and returned to reading her book, irritated that she had been disturbed at the most exciting part of the story.

It wasn't long until he had moved all his things over and sat next to her, somehow managing to peer over her shoulder. Being intrusive, really.

He made some light conversation, which she replied to in as short a reply as possible. Asking where she was from, why she was on the beach, why was she alone, etc. He explained that his name was Patrice, and also complimented her on her perfect French. Hermione had to resist the urge to yell at him for disrupting her quiet time.

He asked for her name, and she replied that her name was Elise.

"Patrice! Annoying pretty girls again, are you?" A loud voice came from behind, which startled Hermione, even with her earphones booming some dance-y songs in her ears.

"Blaise!" He exclaimed, his mood changing instantly to a more jovial one. He gestured something, as if to indicate to his friend that his chatting up Hermione was successful, when evidently it was not. He was merely irritating her further.

Blaise looked extremely amused at his friend's antics, and asked to be introduced to his friend.

Patrice pulled tightly at Hermione's hand, which caused her to topple over from her recliner. Fortunately, Blaise's quick reaction saved her from falling. Her eyes widened in recognition of her Slytherin classmate, and wondered if this was somehow all a coincidence or if it was planned. As for the Slytherin, he too, looked shocked at seeing Mia Malfoy at a beach in Nice being chatted up by his annoying friend.

"Blaise, this is Elise." Patrice said, as the two Hogwarts students stood up, brushing off the fine sand from their clothes.

"Nice to meet you." Hermione said, pretending to go along with the introduction and indicating with her eyes to Zabini to follow her act. He nodded and repeated the niceties of such an introduction that was totally unnecessary.

Blaise glanced at 'Elise' amusedly, who frowned at him in response.

"Well… it looks like we'll be having one heck of a party then, won't we?" Patrice said loudly, jolting the Hogwarts students from their staring contest.

"Actually…" Hermione began. "I should really be getting home now. I'm really tired. Exhausted, actually."

"Yes, you look extremely tired, M-Elise," Blaise said quickly, covering up his mistake swiftly. "I'll escort her home, Patrice. See you at the party later?"

Before Patrice could reply, for his face looked immensely disappointed, Blaise and Hermione walked off towards the Malfoy holiday house.

When he was sure that Patrice was out of earshot, Blaise turned to his best friend's twin and hissed, "What on earth are you doing _here_? It's dangerous, for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione looked affronted. However, she was very much aware of the Zabini family's closeness to the Malfoys, as well as their position in the war – being spies for the Light, and so she decided to disclose the real reason for being in Nice.

"What do you think?"

His eyes widened in understanding and he said no more. They ended up walking in silence back to the house, with the boy even escorting the girl to the front of the house.

"Thanks, Zabini. Patrice was beginning to annoy me."

Blaise smirked, realising how it was such an understatement. "Draco doesn't like him either."

"Maybe it's a twin thing we've got going on."

He laughed.

"Is he…"

"A wizard? No. He's muggle."

Hermione nodded in reply.

A silence had wedged itself in between the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin.

"Anyway…"

"Anyway,"

They chuckled awkwardly at the odd situation they were in.

"See you around." He said.

"Yeah, you too." She answered, turning around and entering the house.

* * *

The regal looking woman with white blonde hair huffed impatiently as she sat on the plush armchair upright and unmoving.

_Where is she?_

Hermione had been expected to arrive much earlier. She had toyed with the thought that her daughter had indeed, arrived, but had gone out and had somehow left everything in the house looking untouched. There was another train of thought that led to Hermione being attacked while at the Grangers, while trying to save them. And the fact that she _still _had not returned from wherever she was caused Narcissa much anxiety and worry, not knowing whether she was safe or not from harm.

Suddenly, she heard faint sounds coming from the entrance of the holiday home.

"Thanks, Zabini. Patrice was beginning to annoy me."

_Zabini, eh?_ Narcissa thought. _Must call upon Carmella one day to discuss this situation._

"Draco doesn't like him either."

"Maybe it's a twin thing we've got going on."

A distinctively masculine laugh answered the passing statement.

"Is he…"

"A wizard? No. He's muggle."

Silence.

"Anyway…"

"Anyway,"

Narcissa heard awkward chuckles.

"See you around."

"Yeah, you too."

As Narcissa heard the click from the closing of the door, she stood up slowly, walking towards the door that led into her favourite parlour in the whole house.

"Mia." She spoke sternly.

Hermione jolted for the umpteenth time that day, looking like a deer caught in the headlights as she desperately glanced around her surroundings to identify the intruder. She immediately brandished her wand as she did this.

"Too slow." Narcissa sighed, rebuking Hermione slightly. "Your reaction time definitely needs to be faster. Maybe you could play with those reaction time games that the muggles have - they're interesting little contraptions..."

The lights came on in the dark foyer, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her mother. But upon seeing the stern expression on her mother's face, Hermione actually feared for her life at that moment.

Narcissa noticed the redness in her daughter's cheeks – _probably from all that sun tanning, _she thought. So muggle. She decided to grill her as to her whereabouts that day.

"And what on _earth _were you doing today?"

Hermione gulped. "I arrived early, so I decided to go into town, seeing as I'll be here for the rest of the summer. I wanted to explore!"

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, evidently not impressed by the response that she received. "And the Grangers?"

"Currently on the plane."

The elder Malfoy nodded in approval. "But that does _not_ excuse the fact that _no _note was left behind to indicate where you were going. Or that you didn't even bother telling one of the elves here as to where your whereabouts was to be."

"I'm sorry, Mother." Hermione said sadly. "I didn't know you were going to be so worried, but you have to remember that I'm not five, I'm sixteen."

Narcissa sighed. "Yes, darling. I know. But still…"

"I understand." Hermione felt weary from the day's events, and understood her parents' anxiety regarding her safety. But it could not defeat the fact that she was now essentially chained to the holiday home, with nothing to do, and no contact at all with her friends. The friends who did not know of her true identity yet. Oh, how on earth was she to tell them about the new change in her life? How was she to return to Hogwarts with such an identity - she knew that she'd immediately become Hogwarts' public enemy number one.

Something that she really did not need at the moment.

Silence ensued as both Malfoys came to a silent understanding of how the arrangements would work out now during the holidays before returning to Hogwarts.

"Who was that at the door just now?" Narcissa asked suddenly, with a tone of curiosity in her voice, pretending that she hadn't heard anything.

Hermione frowned, having to think about the name of the person who had escorted her back. "Oh. That was Zabini."

Narcissa had to blink twice to mask her surprise. Pretend surprise, anyway. "You don't mean… _Blaise _Zabini?"

Her daughter only nodded. "Yeah… why?"

The elder Malfoy smiled slightly, as though lost in thought. She was. Hermione raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but did not say anything.

_Hermione and Blaise together… there's a pleasant thought. I must bring this up with Carmella when I next see her._

"Oh, it's nothing, darling. But I'm glad that you at least have some company from school." She smiled inwardly. "It'll make things a lot better for you here."

_This might just be one of the only happy things for us in this stupid war. Oh, the joys of love, the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves, and each other, works wonders in our lives. Hopefully it can get us through this miserable period intact and still happy._

* * *

The next day…

"I just don't understand this." Eva said quietly to Padma, who was seated on the sofa, holding up a crisp piece of parchment covered with black squiggles. "_Why _hasn't she been replying to our owls? It's like she's completely fallen off the face of the earth. She said she'd only be in the Seychelles for a week, right? Well, a week has already passed by! It's been a flipping month!"

Padma sat in silence, not knowing what to say. She gazed towards an unusually quiet Susa, who was staring pointedly at one spot on the carpet, as though in a daze. "Susa?"

She jumped from her seat. "Yeah. I know."

Eva rolled her eyes at this reply, but did not say anything.

"Maybe she's gone off on another holiday into some unknown muggle place where owls can't get through, and so the bloody owl gave up and decided to return to England." Susa suggested, trying to be helpful.

Eva snorted derisively. _As if._

But she responded nonetheless. "Yeah. Maybe."

They feared that something had happened to her over the recent weeks, like a kidnapping by the now-rising Death Eaters, or even by muggles, but refused to speak it aloud, for fear of jinxing it or making it seem even more true than it was. It was awful how they were kept in the dark, not knowing what was happening, or what had been happening to their poor friend, and if she was safe or not.

But the first question was, _where was she?_

* * *

Hermione found many ways to pass her time in Nice. A week had flown by, and she had trawled through the entire holiday home that the Malfoys owned. So the next thing was to fully explore the local village, which she did and she also travelled to the city centre. The views were spectacular, the shopping was excellent and food was absolutely wonderful – they had become her favourites now – but she knew that this couldn't last.

She was going to have to return back to Hogwarts soon – to the dreary UK weather – and back into darkness. War was looming upon the horizon, and it seemed inevitable that it would strike at them at any moment. It was undeniable that Lord Voldemort was becoming powerful by the day, and Hermione knew that she had to get back to help Harry to brush up with his spellwork and whatnot.

They had to win this war. Or else there wouldn't be any point of fighting for a better life, or freedom, for they would be forever chained under the immortal rule of Lord Voldemort. The immortality bit regarding the snake-like creature was a huge rumour running through all sorts of social circles.

But for now, she knew she could just enjoy herself and be a muggle, even if it was only temporary. How ironic that was – a pureblood being a muggle. And she had originally been raised as a muggleborn!

It was during one of the hottest days of the year that she found herself outside, clad in shorts and a white but thin chemise. She was also wearing a trendy pair of sunglasses and a wide straw hat, mooching about the unknown French wizarding market that was local to Nice and scouring for discounts and odd looking things to bring back to Hogwarts for the girls, the Weasleys (she was to stay at their house in the coming weeks, but she didn't know when, for no arrangement had been made yet), Harry and some of her other close Ravenclaw friends.

She noticed a hair band stall, and peered at the glittery eyesores that were available on display and chatted amiably with the stall owner.

"Do try it on, darling. It really seems to suit you. Blue and bronze are really your colours!" The woman's eyes twinkled with sincerity. Hermione believed her, but thought it looked a little bit on the gaudy side. And so her eyebrows flew to the top of her forehead, disappearing into her curly blonde hair.

_Ravenclaw colours, how ironic. _She thought, amused. Reluctantly though, she put the hair band with the abnormally large bow on her head, glancing at the mirror.

"C'est belle!" It chirped cheerily.

Hermione laughed, having half-expected such a thing to happen. She thought she looked alright, though the odd thing sticking out on the left of her head looked rather strange.

"Yes, it is _belle _on you." A deep voice resounded from behind.

She whirled around, not expecting to know anyone there and feared for her life.

"Dude, don't look so scared. It's just me." The grinning face of Blaise Zabini came into view, and he was standing next to a girl who was about fourteen or fifteen years of age.

"C'est belle, mademoiselle!" The young girl, who looked uncannily like a female version of Blaise Zabini, said brightly.

"Merci." She beamed, feeling rather flattered.

"Why don't you buy it, mademoiselle?" The stall owner suggested.

Hermione sighed, and put it back to where she had seen it. "No, I-"

"I'll buy it." Zabini's voice cut in.

She looked at him confusedly. "Zabini, really, you don't-"

"_Ka-ching!" _The bell on the cash register rang and Zabini took out a Galleon to pay for the hair accessory.

"Here you go," he responded happily, still holding the young girl's hand. "By the way, how rude of me! I didn't make the introductions."

"Naughty Blaise!" The girl trilled mischievously. "What will Maman say!"

Hermione made the connection instantly. She was his sister.

"Mia, this is Thalia. Thalia, Mia. Okay, we're finished with that rubbish now."

Thalia could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "This is Blaise Zabini, Mia. Once you get used to his … _dramatics _and _eccentricities – _he gets even worse."

"_Thalia_!"

"Oops." She said, covering her mouth, with her eyes still shining devilishly. "I forgot, she's your girlfriend, right?"

Hermione's eyes widened to the size of saucers, just as Blaise's did.

"_WHAT_?"

Quick responses of "_no way!_"and "_that's not true_!" echoed loudly, even in the distinctively large space.

"What? I was simply telling the truth, guys." Thalia answered dismissively, flouncing off back to the Zabini house.

Blaise and Hermione glanced at each other, frowning at what had just happened.

"She's fifteen. And a girly girl." He said, by way of explaining her behaviour.

Glancing at each other, they shook their heads at what had just been said by the younger Zabini sister, seeming to communicate with each other telepathically. In an instant, they proceeded to chase after the younger girl, laughing boisterously without a care in the world.

* * *

"Carmella, darling. It's ever so lovely to see you again." Narcissa beamed pleasantly, air-kissing her good friend. "I hope I am not intruding?"

"Oh, no! Of course not!" Carmella Zabini smiled demurely, gesturing for the Malfoy woman to sit on the opposite royal blue sofa. "So how have you been recently?"

Small talk was made, about Carmella's fashion line and Narcissa's tea parties, until Narcissa finally decided to broach the subject of their children.

"Well-" She began.

"I know why you're here." Carmella said solemnly, interrupting her speech.

Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise, thinking the worst. Had Carmella snitched on her to _him_?

"Oh no, I most certainly would not ever snitch on my best friend." She smiled. "No. You're here about Mia."

Narcissa blinked. _How did she know that?_

"You forget, darling. My grandmother was the best _Teller_ in her day, even better than Cassandra Trelawney! That useless Seer..."

Narcissa smiled good-naturedly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the blatant showing off by the woman who went by the surname of Zabini.

"So how are you? Nothing bad has happened, has there?" She asked worriedly.

Narcissa shook her head. "No. I'm just worried for her. Just out of curiosity, where is Blaise?"

"Oh, the children have gone off to Nice to spend the holidays there with their aunt Isabella. But I miss them, ever so much… _why _are you asking me this?"

Narcissa blinked, not understanding why the woman had suddenly become hostile. "Thalia and Carlotta have gone with him too, then?"

"Yes… and so has Matteo."

Narcissa sighed. "Mia's there, and I'm worried for her."

"Oh, don't worry! They shall have oodles of fun over there, a bit of romance, even!"

She blinked several times for the umpteenth time that minute. _Romance?_ "I was going to bring that up, actually… imagine our children – together!"

"Oh no, not darling Matteo. He is too _young_, for Mia!" The Italian woman who was also half-French paused for a second. "Actually, you know what? Blaise would be absolutely _parfait_ for your daughter. Oh, imagine _les enfants_! _Beautiful_, they will be!"

Narcissa could only laugh at the fashion-obsessed woman's antics.

* * *

Nina smiled as she settled into the Weasley household that day, glad that she was staying at Ginny's and not at her aunt's for the summer. It wasn't that she didn't like Aunt Mildred, it was just… let's just say that staying at Ginny's was more fun. Well of course, staying with a friend is always fun.

"Thanks so much for inviting me to stay, Gin. You practically _saved _my life – thank _Merlin _I'm not in that dreaded _house_." She spoke gratefully, and her voice adopted a bit of a dramatic tone.

"Oh, get a grip, Nini." Ginny smiled in response, but her forehead creased with worry. "But I'm just _so worried_. Hermione hasn't written all summer, and she promised!"

The younger Gryffindor girls sat in silence for a long while. "Maybe she's just having so much fun with some cute guy that she bumped into on the street in the Seychelles or something… and she's spending so much time with him that she doesn't have time to write."

Ginny let out a laugh – a genuine one, despite her anxiety – and settled for a smile, thinking optimistic thoughts. "Yeah. Maybe."

* * *

"The Dark Lord has demanded that you grace him with your presence _immediately_." The small but dark figure standing at the door said, shrinking at the sight of Lucius Malfoy's infamous glare, that could really potentially kill many if it were remotely even possible to do so.

He nodded in response, tidying up the papers on his desk with one rapid _swish _of his wand.

Rushing down the stairs, Lucius knew of the potential harm he would run into if he were late. He closed his eyes – in a second they were open once more – not wanting to hear the screams of his dearest Narcissa, or Draco. He thanked the will of Merlin that Hermione was safe in Nice. He knew that he could now worry less about her, but he was still worried about her nonetheless. She was the apple of his eye, and was well aware that he would go to the ends of the world – he would do anything to keep her safe, just as he would with Narcissa and Draco.

Pushing the great big oak door with considerable force, he found himself shrouded in darkness, hearing only a single voice reverberating throughout the room.

"Draco, I have a mission for you. An immensely important one."

Lucius could only feel his insides wobbling in fear, and these were definitely not the words that he wanted to hear. Draco was to atone for his mistakes at the Department of Mysteries a few months earlier, and suffice to say, his chances of surviving through the mission was equal to the dismal likelihood of Bellatrix Lestrange becoming fully sane and functioning normally again.

Draco had no chance.

If he did, then the prospect of survival was slim.

And Lucius knew that it was his entire fault. He had made the wrong choices in his youth; that he was well aware of now. But 'now' was too late. Their entire family was embroiled in such horrible circumstances – the majority of them were strongly affiliated with the Dark side, and Hermione, the poor child, had been placed in the worst situation possible: she was friends with _the _Harry Potter, danger magnet and the Dark Lord's enemy number one. She also happened to be his daughter, twin to Draco, who the Dark Lord had demanded for him to kill sixteen years ago.

The only mission that he had failed to fulfill throughout his 'career', if you could call it that, as one of the Dark Lord's most faithful servants. Just short of Bellatrix, of course.

All because of love.

Something that he thought he was incapable of feeling, of conjuring up.

But he knew now, that he loved Narcissa. He knew now, that he loved Draco. And he knew that the choice that he and Narcissa made all those years ago, to send Mia to stay with the Grangers, was followed because of their love for her.

_Oh, man up, Lucius Malfoy._

"Yes, Lucius. Come closer…" The man who wasn't a man with the snake-like eyes beckoned to the elder male Malfoy to stand further forward. "You _will _listen to what Draco's mission is, because it's his life on the line. You know what you did all those months ago. Or what you _didn't_ manage to do, you useless failure of a man."

Lucius gulped slightly in distress. This was _not _going to be good at all. The insult was rather wordy, which usually meant that what Draco was going to have to go through was going to be absolute emotional hell for him and Narcissa.

"As I was saying Draco – Narcissa, are you listening? – before your father so _rudely _interrupted our pleasant conversation, I have recently come to the knowledge that there's a special pendant that is missing out there – one that has immense power, giving its wearer intelligence, power that would allow me to defeat that _horrible boy_ and a power of a Seer's-"

"But my Lord," a voice interrupted the monologue. Voldemort stomped his pale white foot in frustration.

"_WHAT now_, Severus?"

"That pendant is purely mythical talk. By old and batty people, my Lord. And if it did exist, and was located at Hogwarts, it definitely would have perished in the Great Fire after the Attack of Hogsmeade, 1977."

"We don't need a History lesson, thank you very much, Severus. I trust my sources." Voldemort snapped angrily. "As I was saying. We must retrieve that necklace."

Lucius blinked several times to grasp the situation properly. _He was __not__ asking Draco to travel to the past, was he? And the blummin' thing might not even exist!_ Father glanced over towards son, who was looking paler than usual.

"… the dratted Order are planning to send one of their people into the past. Where in the past, you may ask? Just before the Attack of Hogsmeade. I need more followers to aid me in my plight to kill Harry Potter, and you, my dear boy, will help me to recruit them."

Narcissa trembled slightly. So the task wasn't _too _bad, except Draco did not have a guarantee that he would be able to return to real time.

"There's more." Voldemort continued. "Once Draco comes back – he shall be returning sometime around the March/April period, we will be able to launch a full attack on Hogwarts, where Draco will fulfill his atonement for _you_, Lucius, and kill Albus Dumbledore."

_**WHAT?**_

* * *

Hermione found herself walking alone on the beach in one of the new casual muggle dresses that Narcissa had bought her just a few weeks before, gazing at the beautiful sunset ahead of her. She stood there, lost in her thoughts and in the quiet. The breeze was gently billowing about and she just could not think of a better way to spend a lovely summer afternoon. As much as she loved reading, the view that she was observing was simply magnificent.

_Pity that it constantly rains in England. The views there are pretty too,_ she thought.

"A Galleon for your thoughts, Mia?"

Hermione jumped in surprise, and laughed when she saw Blaise behind her, with his hands nervously shoved into his pockets. "Nothing. I'm just admiring the view. I can't believe I've never been to this part of France!"

Blaise grinned. "Yeah, it's nice. But it's not as beautiful as you."

Hermione blinked, reeling from the shock of what he had said. "Zabini, _please _don't tell me that you're trying to _flirt _with me. If you are, then it's not working."

He looked affronted. "Darling, I paid you a compliment! Please, at least be nice to me!"

Hermione smirked, shaking her head. "Still not working."

"I just can't help it, you're a pretty girl." He attempted once more, only to fail dismally with Hermione giggling.

"Oh Zabini. You're pathetic. But you amuse me so." And she walked off without another word.

"Mia, wait!"

Many occasions of this sort happened during the holidays, and Hermione got to know the Zabini family so much better.

* * *

"How am I to return to school like this, Mother?" Hermione asked Narcissa one day, when she was visiting. "I mean, I'm not embarrassed about my identity or anything, but don't you think that going around like _this _is just asking for the _teensiest _of trouble?"

Narcissa laughed. "Oh darling, we've already worked it out. You shall return as Hermione Granger. Your father and I have agreed that going back as your old self – yourself, oh, I don't know – is most prudent and appropriate."

The younger girl glanced towards her packed belongings and heaved a loaded sigh. "I shall miss this summer holiday. It was so carefree… and fun. I don't know if I will ever have one of this sort again."

Narcissa gazed at her daughter wistfully, wondering what kind of bad luck had thrust her and her family into this situation. She knew that nothing could be changed, but could only wrap her daughter in her arms, before proceeding to cast a complicated glamour spell on Mia Malfoy, who was to now return to being Hermione Granger.

"Do they know that I'm coming?"

"Yes, they do. Dumbledore told them."

A silence squeezed itself into the conversation.

"Remember, I love you." She said suddenly and very quietly, with a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Me too." Hermione smiled sadly, before going through to the Floo. "Bye, Mum."

Narcissa waved.

"_The Burrow_!"

Sudden jovial shouts of "Hermione!" could be heard echoing in the fireplace.

* * *

**Okies – so what do you think? D's missions, oh, I hope he does not ruin his good looks in trying to complete Lord Voldy's dirty work! And H with B? What do you think? I want to know!**

**And I want YOU to think about possible reactions to H telling the Weasleys about her true heritage! How will they react? How will H tell them?**

**Xoxo,**

**Gossip Girl**

**P.S. Please do not hesitate to express how much you liked this chapter / story (or not, Ms Smiles does not mind either way!). Constructive criticism would be nice, because mean reviews aren't very nice now, are they? All suggestions regarding how the story will pan out will be taken into account!**


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